


The One and Only

by MyNameJett



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Added Cry 'cause why not?, Alien AU, Angst, Ends up a bit longer than anticipated, Felix!, First story on ao3, Gore, Kinda, Lot's of rambling, M/M, More tags to be added, Please forgive me for any errors, Story develops slowly, Young Jack, depression and anxiety, different planet, may add more tags, or maybe it's Wade?, quite a bit of violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-17 04:22:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 26,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11843853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyNameJett/pseuds/MyNameJett
Summary: Jack is a mystery in a new mysterious world, and one Explorer wants to find out the answers behind the strange man who lives alone.





	1. Before- With a little exposistion

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that this is my very first fic, and I am terrified of putting it out there, but here goes. Please read through and give it a chance, and tell me what you think!

     They had no name. No one had bothered to give a title to the terrifying beast that had devoured their families and gouged entire villages from existence. They were known by many names, though none ever stuck. No name given to the beasts had been enough, had held enough fear, had been capable of shoving screams out of throats, like the beasts themselves. Simply put, no name had been sufficient. Though there had been contenders. The Unlordlies, Nothings, and Darklings had all been used to refer to the creatures, and though those names struck fear into the hearts of many, you would not be able to tell what they were by the names. So they had none. They had a class. Class 0, subset a1. The very first creatures to be encountered on the planet, found by the Explorers.  
     Class 0, subset a. Explorers were new, special. Created from humans who had lived on Earth most of their lives, until a new species, titled Xoran had invaded the planet. The Xorans only wished to further research on the planet, so they took 10 earth human females and ten earth human males, and left one of their own. A broken Xoran-human hybrid. See, the Xorans were winged, humanoid creatures, from the planet Ainia. Their mission was to combine their own species with humans to create the perfect life form. Xorans couldn't live very long and weren't adaptable. Humans didn't have many features that made Xorans live as long as they had, such as better immune systems and a much more healthy society, not to mention the wings. So one day, they decided to take a human, to see how that human would fare on their planet. In the middle of nowhere was a small woman, a lonely one who, despite her beauty had never married, or had even gotten close. She had always lived a simple, yet lonely life. So when she was taken, nobody noticed.  
     She was held in a small shack-like area where she was watched, kept constantly under surveillance. One day, they decided to take their research a step further, and let her intermingle with society. She lived ten more years, content in her status among the Xorans who welcomed her and treated with only kindness. She fell in love with a Xoran and ended up marrying him. But no one knew what would happen when their relationship progressed. And so, when they found out that she was with child, they rejoiced, finally getting what they had always hoped, a Human-Xoran hybrid. But then the woman died in childbirth, leaving her child in a world full of things that had no idea how to care for it. Him. His name was the last word spoken out of her tired lips, as she breathed her last breath watching the Xorans place him in a basket wrapped snugly in a specially woven blanket so that his wings could develop fully. "Jack"  
     It took a day for the Xorans to realize that they would be unable to care for the child, mostly due to the fact that the child was wailing, a horrible awful sound that would make mothers weep in agonizing pain for the child. So the Xorans began to look after the child, making sure to keep the wrapping secured on him around his wings, so that they could continue to grow. And for a while, it seemed to work. The child wasn't wailing as much. But the second the child first spread his wings, the Xorans hated him. His wings were soft and sweet, smelling like fresh flowers and pine wood, under a canopy of jungle leaves. That was a Xorans Sign, what identified them, what no other Xoran would be able to copy. It told a Xoran all you needed to know about the person. But the smell of the child, however sweet and innocent didn't matter. It mattered not how silky his wings were, or how well they glowed. The moss green of them was not what made the Xorans shudder in fear and hatred. It was the pattern. Xoran wings were smooth at birth, and if you committed a crime, a pattern was burned into your wings, as a reminder of what you did, and a punishment. And this child's wings had the worst of them all. The Dakonis Pattern, meant to signify the worst type of being. They wanted nothing to do with the child.  
     So, when they went to collect more humans, this time ones with mates so that the mates could care for the child after birth, they threw down the monstrous child, hoping for its death to be long and painful, a message of sorts to the rest of the Dakoni Patterners.  
     And so they forgot about him. They believed the child dead. Except.... one Xoran, Mynyano, one who was a mother herself, who had cared for the child while he was on Ainia, she had caught the child as he fell and hid him within her wings, protecting him.  
     This time, the Xorans decided to inject a serum into the woman, a drug that was modified Xoran DNA, so that this time, the children would come out perfect. And they did. They were titled the Explorers, and when their wings were developed, perfectly clear, all with their own signifying color, they were let off, into a new planet, where they would no longer have contact with either the humans or Xorans. When they were all flying off, out of the ship, Mynyano decided that it was time for young Jack, then only 16, to join the others on the new planet. As the ship began to close, she gave Jack a map and a letter, warning him of the others. He flew off the ship, and it sped away, no one the wiser.       Soon, much sooner than expected, Jack was found. He kept his wings carefully tucked in at all times and had hidden his smell under the juice of Smolbeans, Class 1, subset q, as it was one of the very first plants found on the planet. Smolbeans had a very bright and colorful smell, and it's strong perfume allowed Jack to hide his heritage. The           Explorers believed him to be one of the natives, as there was a group of natives that preferred to add the plant to their water, as to enhance its uses.  
     There was one Explorer who didn't quite believe that Jack was a native. Jack was a rather unusual name for the natives, who spoke in a different tongue, and he was extremely pale and slender. The others wrote it off as Jack being just an unusual person, as he didn't speak at all, and had made his home in the middle of nowhere. So they let him be and did not bother him. But the other Explorer, he continued to search for any clues as to who this strange boy was. He investigated, desperate to uncover the secrets this mystery person was hiding from them. One day, he stumbled on the mystery himself, collecting Smolbeans, and he decided that he was going to have to talk to him.  
He walked up to him, slowly, silently, attempting to not disturb the man. Just as he was about to speak, the man turned, a sharp spear in his hand, right at his throat, the other hidden behind his back. The Explorer gasped and threw his hands up, trying to stay as still as possible. The man glared at him, then the Explorer took a deep breath, trying to speak.  
     "I am Explorer 6, the role of Wanderer and Warrior, and who are you?" His voice thankfully remained steady as he spouted out his Words, which were something comfortable, something that he could not mess up. But as the man continued to stare, he could feel his palms dampen and a line of cold sweat run down his back. Here was a man who nobody knew, holding a spear to his throat, completely unfazed and staring directly into his soul. Unmoving and statuesque, he stared, not even breathing as far as the Explorer could tell. Infinitesimally, he could see the spear coming closer and closer to ending his life, and terror made his heart seize at the thought. Why couldn't I have just been like everybody else and ignored the "strange man of the hills"? He thought to himself. He shivered and gulped as the spear inched ever closer to his exposed throat. He went cross-eyed trying to keep it in his sights, but he damn well wasn't about to take his eyes off it, not for anything.  
     " _Mark_!!" The Explorer heard his name being called from a great distance and closed his eyes, believing it to be the end. Surely Jack would be quick, hoping to not get caught, right? But after a soft _whoosh_ of air caressed his face and the sound of insects becoming known, the Explorer opened his eyes to find Jack gone.


	2. Curious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark curiosity builds. He needs to know more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank ThatAnnoyingBella for editing this, she did an amazing job, so tell me what you think! And don't forget to thank her too, it would've been much worse without her!

    That night, Mark found himself thinking about Jack. Strangely, not any of the “normal” thoughts, like, Whew, glad I got out of that one!, or What was that guy's problem?, or even, I wonder what that would have felt like if he had killed me....  
    No, Mark was wondering about what it would be like to live with Jack, to see him move normally, and to speak. What he was like when he wasn't being held back by fear. Fear. How had Mark come to that conclusion? After he found Jack gone, he should have connected the dots, but he was too relieved. After he had gotten over his relief, the rest of the Explorers found him and bombarded him with questions. They celebrated him being alive, then promptly punished him for being not dead, and sent him to do the menial tasks for that day and all week. With how much his body ached, one wouldn’t expect him to be awake, let alone be sitting around thinking.  
    Despite this, he found himself thinking about Jack - fantasizing really - about how amazing it would be to live in peace, where his only job was to live. At that moment, the thought was all too enticing. He could imagine living in peace, but he could never do it alone. Mark found himself sympathizing with the stranger, knowing that even an hour by himself would drive Mark up a wall. Maybe that was one of the reasons why he was so weird and crazy, Mark theorized, drifting off.

    The next morning, Mark found himself awake at a far earlier hour than he would have liked. Light was just starting to peek into his small hovel through the holes in the walls and ceilings, and for a moment he lay there, wondering what had woken him up at this time of day when he heard something - a deep voice booming across the field. It was announcing something, and he figured that it was probably what had woken him up. When the announcement was finished, he closed his eyes and settled back into his cot, ready to get more sleep. Before his eyes could shut completely, he heard a rapid knocking on his door.  
    Slowly, stretching out his joints with satisfying pops, he made his way towards the door. When he opened it, he saw Mandy and Amy, two of the females in their group bouncing excitedly on their toes.  
    “What do you want?” Mark asked grouchily, his voice hoarse from sleep.  
    “Good morning to you too, freak.” Mandy replied, giving Mark a small smile. “We just wanted to let you know that we are going go flying around for a while, and , I dunno, see if we can find anything?” She shrugged and gave Amy a questioning look. “Captain told everyone that if they wanted to go, they had to be packed and prepared before breakfast. We were told to make sure that you knew, since you hadn't woken up yet.”  
    “And someone will have to stay behind, to keep the camp safe and stuff." Amy said, speaking up. "So don't be late, or you won't get to fly around.”  
Mark shrugged. “I don't get why everybody is so pumped about flying. Especially since we have no clue what else could be flying out there with us.”  
    "Well," Amy began folding her arms, “Not all of us got to fly around on Ainia, because most of our parents were afraid of having a kid who could fly.” She pouted when Mandy and Mark chuckled at her.  
    “I just love it.” Mandy looked over at Mark, seeing his unsure face. “Aw, c'mon, don't tell me you  
don't love the feeling of flying. Your wings are spread, the wind on your face, seeing so much, getting perspective…” she trailed off, seeing Amy's look of longing. She gave a consoling pat to Amy's shoulder.  
    “Don't you worry, you'll be out there in no time.”  
    Then, the horn that signified the beginning of breakfast sounded. Amy gasped and started running toward her home, shouting over her shoulder that she still wasn't prepared. They watched her run into her squat home, then looked back at each other.

    “Y'know, if it really means that much to her, I'll stay behind.” Mark said, glancing back at the direction of Amy's house. “I don't like flying anyway, and I wouldn't want her to miss a chance at flying for the first time.”  
    “Really?” Mandy looked up at Mark, surprise widening her eyes. “You'd do that?”  
    “Don't have to acted so shocked, Mandy,” Mark chuckled, “Of course I would. I remember when I first flew. I was so nervous I almost threw up.” He chuckled once more, “But it was fun, I loved it, and I don’t have the capability to take something that special away from anyone, even my greatest enemy.” Mark smiled a small, shy smile as Mandy beamed up at him.  
    “Wow, that was… sweet. I honestly didn't know you had it in you. But I'm certainly glad I didn't dismiss you entirely.” Mandy continued to beam, then waved and said her goodbyes so Mark could get ready for breakfast.  
    Breakfast came and went. All the other Explorers began to head off to the cliffs to take off. Technically, you could take off from level ground, but it created too strong of a wind and was much harder than jumping off of something. Amy and Mandy waved goodbye along with the rest of the group. The Captain explained to Mark that they would be gone for several days, and that Mark was to make sure that food was supplied and that houses were kept safe during the night, and await their return.  
Mark simply nodded at the others' requests and began to compile a list of the specific duties he was to do each day they were gone. Before lunch could even be thought of, they were off, and Mark was left alone with only his thoughts for friends.

    On the second day, Mark left. He had been slowly going insane, and felt that he needed to venture out. Not to mention that his every thought was of the same thing - more specifically, the same person. Silent Seth, he had dubbed the man, for obvious reasons. Silent Seth, with piercing blue eyes and reflexes sharper than his weapons. A curiosity, an unknown. Mark simply could not handle unknown. So he out he went.  
    He trekked to the closest town, where the original inhabitants of the planet resided. The people who they had found had a very interesting culture. They wore masks to symbolize their power, and spoke in tongues that even some of their own seemed unable to understand. Besides that, they seemed kind and unassuming, so the Explorers left them alone. The leader of the natives, wore a white mask with a very simple design (holes for the eyes and a single line running down the bottom, near the mouth), could speak English, but the Explorers had yet to decide whether or not they wanted to communicate with these strange peoples.  
    As Mark passed through the huts and stands, he found himself looking for the man, Silent Seth, wondering if he truly was a native. He dispelled the notion quickly, thinking back to when he saw the man. He had never seen him wear a mask. He didn’t live with the rest of the town, and he was deathly pale, while all of the people he could see had very dark skin.  
    As Mark continued through the town, he logged each new discovery in his mind. None of the vendors or residents acknowledged his presence, so he was free to travel throughout the town. As a result, he eventually made it to the Northernmost edge where a large tent stood in front of an even larger house. The house was big, made with what looked like wooden planks separating rows of stacked stone. It loomed far above him, twice the height of the tent, which was about three times the height of Mark.  
He looked up at the house to see figures atop the ledge. Guards, he thought to himself, awed by the behemoth structure. As he approached the tent, he heard one of the guards shout something at him. He stopped, looking over. The guard began to speak, but Mark didn’t understand that language. He stared helplessly as the guard spoke to him. Whatever it was seemed to be a question, one that was asked over and over again. Mark was attempting to let the man know he couldn't speak their language when the guard fell silent, staring at something to Mark’s right. Mark looked over and saw the leader of the natives, Chaotic Monki, standing behind him. Chaotic Monki was supposedly named after some long ago war, the details of which Mark didn’t know.  
    “Who are you?” Chaotic Monki asked. Surprisingly, his voice was pleasant - soft and gentle, with a lulling rumble that radiated peacefulness.  
    “I am Explorer 6, role of Wanderer and Warrior. I come in peace,” Mark stated. His words came easily,as per usual.  
    “Why are you here?” Chaotic Monki looked down at him, eyebrows raised.  
    “Well, I was curious about a certain man who lives far outside of here. I know nothing about him, not even where he lives or his name. I met him face-to- face once and the strangeness of him peaked my interest.” Mark continued, remembering his earlier thought as he attempted to recall what Silent Seth looked like, “My height, blue eyes, brown hair, very pale-”  
    “And an affinity for silence,” Chaotic Monki interrupted. “Yes, we know of him. We discovered him, and I had a few of our Adventurers follow him to see where he lived and if he would be a danger to our people. He doesn't seem dangerous, so we let him be.” Chaotic Monki motioned towards the tent and entered it, giving one last look to Mark. Mark stood still for a second before realizing that he was supposed to follow the leader.  
The tent was huge already, but seemed even bigger on the inside. It was obviously used as a place to prepare soldiers for battle, as various tables and shelves held different weapons all around the room.  
    To Mark's direct left was a table of sorts, two benches on either side. A collection of swords and axes were lined on the table portion, while the benches were littered with small hand-held knives and daggers. Ahead of that were more complicated axes that seemed to serve many uses, all set up on a board.  
At the back of the tent were a collection of bookshelves, filled with bare-spined books, and some leaves of loose paper, all filed together. Chairs and small tables were set up around that, presumably for reading and writing on. Mark's right held more defensive weapons, with spears and javelins lined up against wide planks of wood. Next to it was a shelf the contained what seemed to be armour, with a parchment piece set up on top, showing how to put the different sets of armour on. Sandwiched between that and the library were a pile of shields, stacked haphazardly against the tent wall.  
    Mark pointed towards the shields with an uneasy look on his face. “Y'know, Mr. Chaotic-”  
    “Please,” Chaotic Monki interrupted him once again, “Call me Cry.”  
    At Mark’s wondering look, he continued. "Very long story. And speaking of stories…" Cry hurried over to the bookshelf, grabbing a rather large edition off the shelf before heading back to Mark, who was watching guards walk through the tent, "... I have this. The story of our enigma, everything that we had learned about him. Please, feel free to look it through, take it with you if you like." Mark opened to book to the middle and-  
    Wait.  
    What?  
    Was this a joke?  
    Mark looked up from the blank pages at Cry, stupefied. Cry smiled, then gently flipped the pages to the beginning. Oh. Mark felt his cheeks heat up, but refused to give any other indication that he was embarrassed. He looked back down on the paper and found a drawn picture of Silent Seth, in perfect, minute detail. He was laying spread out next to what looked to be a river. The picture seemed to have been drawn from up above, and slightly to the left, away from the water. Mark admired it for a bit, then flipped the page. There he found a map. A map straight to Silent Seth's hovel. Starting from the outskirts of the town they were in, a line was drawn up north to north-west, where a simple drawing of a house was placed. Mark stared at it. This map was so perfect, so simple, and yet it had the potential to answer all of his questions and solve the puzzle that was Silent Seth. Mark heard a chuckle and looked up.                                                                                                                                                                                                         “Please,” Cry chuckled again, “Don't let me interrupt you.” He laughed jovially, an infectious and full laugh that made Mark laugh along, even though he was embarrassed. The older man calmed down a bit, sighing before speaking. “Hey, if you want (and I can tell that you do), go. I won't mind. I do in fact have other things to occupy myself with.” Cry smiled again, and Mark looked down at the map, eager to get to his destination. “You are, by all means, welcome here at any time. I'm glad that you took the time to come out here to ask us some questions. I know that most of your group would have kept to themselves, which shows strength, but to a certain degree." He gave Mark a quick wink. "Do not hesitate to speak to me when you feel like it. I am never too busy." He sighed contentedly, looking around. "We never really have use for this battle gear, and for that, I am happy. Anyway, I must get back to my duties. Pardon me, and feel free to take something if you need it. I suggest a smaller blade, something that you can take with you." With a nod, Cry walked out of the tent.  
    Mark grabbed a sturdy blade that was about the length of his middle finger, stashed it into his pack, and headed out. He was going to figure out this man, even if it killed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment, even if it's only to say hi, I would love to hear what you have to say! I will reply to each comment, so if you say hi, I say hi back! Give me any questions you have! Let me know what you think will happen in the next chapter, and thank you for giving this a chance you guys!!


	3. The Beginning of the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark finally meets the man behind the mystery... but there are no ups without downs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Here it is, chapter numero tres! Now I know that the gap between chapters was weird, but me and ThatAnnoyingBella, who has kindly volunteered to edit this story have figured out a schedule plan. Are plan is to get out two chapters per week, and I have complete faith that she will not fail, so if there is a late upload, it is probably my fault. But I pride myself on punctuality (it's all I have, really), so you shouldn't have to worry. Please enjoy and comment your thoughts! I love to see what people have to say!

    The journey was short and uneventful. Mark zoned out for most of it, imagining meeting the silent anomaly in person once again. Now that he knew that it was simply fear that made Silent Seth attack him in the first place, he wasn't so afraid. He was unnerved, sure, but afraid he was not. 

    Remembering the picture of Silent Seth in the book, Mark took it out and looked at it as he walked. Whoever had drawn it was very talented, with the sketch capturing the all-knowing look in Silent Seth’s eyes and the serious curve to his lips perfectly. He seemed sullen, yet peaceful. Mark couldn't help but stare into the drawings eyes, wishing he could comfort the sad, silent man, itching to be there, to make him smile and talk. Just looking at the drawing made him long to-

    Cold water rushed into Mark's shoes, shaking him out of his thoughts and numbing his toes. He quickly made his way back out of the water, feeling stupid for not paying attention to what was in front of him. Taking off his boots and dumping out the water, he put the book in his pack and decided he wasn't going to think about it until he got there. He had memorized the map anyway.

    As Mark neared his destination, anxiousness bubbled up in him once again, a steady buzz that started in his stomach and spread throughout his body. He felt ill, but kept going, being sure to be absolutely silent, knowing that Silent Seth could be anywhere.  _ I really gotta think of a better name for him, _ Mark thought, trying to distract himself from the churning in his stomach. Maybe something generic, like Chris, or John, or Ja-  _ WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?! _

    Mark stared up at the giant structure, reaching so far above him he felt tempted to spread his wings, if only to get a glimpse of it from afar. It had a basic, almost human-like shape, with wide wings and a giant hole in the middle of it, with two small ones below it and another small one above it. It was topped with a round piece, which had a large hole carving out most of it, leaving only the outline. It had straight wings that stretched far out, almost as tall as the overall structure, which was about 300 feet tall, Mark guessed. The base was covered in moss and vines, which climbed up and around it. If Mark looked closely enough, he barely make out faint lines branching from the middle hole out to the wings.

    Behind it sat a group of hills, with two cone-shaped twin structures extended far behind them. Some old piles of broken rock were scattered around, dust making itself home around them. Strangely, Mark noticed that above each giant rock was a much smaller rock, just floating. Mark looked around, wondering what on earth the place could be. It looked utterly destroyed and the eerie feeling of abandonment cloaked everything. For no reason at all, Mark felt despair weigh down his heart as he looked at this melancholy place, remembering where it was to mark in his map later. With a last sorrowful glance, he turned and began the short walk to his destination.

 

    5 minutes and three hills later, Mark found himself staring at a shack. It was small and wooden, and right in front of what seemed to be a cave. Mark figured it had to be the entrance to the cave, seeing as it was much to small to hold anything more than a table, perhaps, or a very small cot. Slowly, he approached it. Dusk was approaching, so he sat off to the side of the entrance, hidden in the shadows, waiting for a sign that Silent Seth was home, or coming home. Not long after the sun had disappeared behind the trees, Silent Seth made his appearance.

    Slowly, as if in a dream, the recluse appeared, coming up over the hill, a handwoven basket in one hand, and some short planks of wood in the other. As he walked closer, Mark felt his heart beating out of his chest, crashing painfully against his ribs as he scrambled for something to say, anything to say. Just as he was about to move out of the shadows, he felt something, quick and sharp embed itself into Mark's skull. Pain and darkness rolled over him, and all he could think was  _ “That went well…” _

  
  


    All he could feel was warmth. It surrounded him, gently cocooning him in pleasantness. The scent of Smolbeans permeated the air, and he felt content. All he could hear was soft breathing coming from his right. Strangely, the sound didn't alert him that something had happened, it simply comforted him, reminding him of happiness. And, if he laid there and thought of nothing, he could just barely smell fresh flowers, sweet and innocent, surrounded by pine trees, under a canopy of jungle leaves. The smell called to something in him, something unknown and yet as familiar to him as a limb. He felt a shift, a subtle change in him. He felt at peace, truly at peace. He felt untouchable, and though he normally would want to shout out this feeling to the whole world, right now all he wanted was someone to love, he wanted to make someone else feel the way he felt. Treasured and beautiful. And that someone, whoever they were, he knew he wanted to share the rest of his life with. 

 

    Mark reached out, going to hold something, someone, when something smacked his hand away. Immediately, his eyes opened, and Mark gasped, noting the throbbing on his head and quickly taking in his surroundings. He had no idea where he was, and sitting next to him was none other than Silent Seth, looking mildly annoyed. 

    He was lying in a pile of what seemed to be wool that was stuffed into sewn-together leaves. The bed was in the corner of the small room, with three walls made of wood and one made of stone. The stone behind him had a few hand-made spears resting against it. On the wooden wall across from him was a map, and a bag of fresh leaves sat in a bag. A few baskets scattered around the room held various things that Mark didn't know any names for. The room was pretty bare, so Mark didn't have to look for long.

    His eyes were quickly drawn back to Silent Seth.

    "What is your name?" Mark asked, his voice slightly hoarse. The man simply watched him, his breath uneven and eyes perceiving. Mark waited, the silence creeping and uncomfortable. He continued to sit there, trying to wake himself up. Still, the man said nothing, not moving an inch. As the silence lengthened, Mark began to feel the thing, resting in him, right next to his heart. Warmth emanated from it, comforting Mark. Mark sunk into it, forgetting where he was for a second.  And almost like a shadow, he could see himself, through sleepy lenses. 

    Silent Seth stood up, shaking Mark from his stupor. Mark stared as the man made his way across the room, gesturing for Mark to follow. Mark did, and found himself in his own clothes. For some reason he was a small bit disappointed. He could not name why. 

    As Mark followed the man out of the room, he found himself looking for any clues as to who this man was, what he was like. He found none. The room right outside of the bedroom seemed to be just for sitting, with piles of furs and things of that nature stacked around and some meat wrapped in twine sitting next to a pit that held burnt logs along with what appeared to be Smolbeans. Mark remembered smelling that when he woke up, and he was happy he had found its source. The large round fruits were known for their distinct smell and flavour, and most of Cry's town used it daily, almost all the time, for everything and anything.

    Silent Seth showed Mark to the next room, which was actually the wooden shack. It held a collection of fruits and other plants. Mark took in the assortments of colour, marveling at how beautiful it was. 

    Silent Seth held the door as Mark exited the small wooden hut, eager to see what the man had in store. He grabbed a basket and handed it to Mark. Just as Mark was about to ask what it was for when he heard a loud slam, and a gust of air blew bits of his hair back. He looked up to see the door closed, and so he looked at the basket. What is this for? Shrugging, Mark decided he would come back later, seeing as it was very dark. And so, basket in hand and bag on his back, Mark made his way back to his own home.

  
  


    When Mark got back, all he could see was chaos. People rushed around, wings still spread, people shouted terrified commands at each other. People were gathering supplies and rushing to the middle of the field. Hurriedly, Mark made his way towards the crowd, pushing people back, trying to get to the Captain. What he saw stopped him cold in his tracts. 

    There, lying on her back, was Mandy. Blood stained her clothes, bleeding out into her light blue wings. He couldn't tell whether she was alive or dead, and he was deathly afraid it would be the latter. Amy sat next to her on her knees, tears flowing down her cheeks. Mark knelt down next to Mandy across from Amy, shocking taking his breath and his words. He looked over to Amy and asked her what had happened.

    "W-we were flying,” Amy said, sniffing, “A-and I saw s-something, and it-it tried to g-g-grab me, but M-Mandy, she- she- she-" Amy burst into tears once again. Mark looked to the captain, who was giving orders to find all the medical supplies and for someone to find out what that was. Mark stood back up, but before words could force their way out of his throat, the Captain turned to him.

    "Look, we don't know what the hell attacked her, but it was bad and there were too many of them for us to take. Nobody else is hurt, and we are going to do our best to save her, okay? Now, please, move out of the WAY!" He growled, shoving Mark to the side as he went to go give more orders. Morosely, Mark turned over to look at Mandy once again. Though the wound looked bad, he couldn't tell whether or not she would live. Amongst all the chaos lay Mandy, hanging on to her life, as if on a string. Mark could feel the contentment from earlier breaking, along with his heart.

  
  
  


_     I hope she makes it... _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I encourage you to comment, really, it's begging. I get a little thrill every time I see the number beside the comments go up, so please! Tell me what you think, what you hope to happen, any questions you might have, really anything at all! And if you have the time, give a shout-out to ThatAnnoyingBella for editing these chapters and really making it as amazing as it is.
> 
> Edit: The structure that Mark found can be seen in maskman626's "Somewhere Only We Know." That artwork is a story in itself, and I thought that I would put that out there. I focused more on the last slate, which will most likely be referenced once more, but who knows??? Maskman626 has some really good and interesting art, a lot of it concerning Anti and Dark. Check them out, their art is really good! http://maskman626.deviantart.com/gallery/


	4. Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark takes a walk... what an eventful walk it is!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Just thought that I would let ya'll know that That_Annoying_Bella and I have decided that this story would be stretching into two different stories. They will both be tied together, and will have a bit in common, but the sequel to it will be a bit more modern. Not completely so, seeing as this takes place on a whole other planet, but you know what I mean. Let me know what you think and if you have any questions! Thanks! <3  
> And this chapter does get a bit more fluffy, so... yeah

    Mark wanted to run. Run and run and never stop. Staying became unbearable, and he suffered through it for as long as he could. After all, where was he to go? But soon, the “where” didn't matter as much. Just getting out of this hell, where he watched his friend wither away while everyone around him fell apart trying to keep her together. This was the first time one of theirs had even come close to death, and though they should have been prepared to lose someone, they had never expected it to be so soon.

    Watching as the people he was supposed to lean on crumble was devastating, so Mark had made it his job to hold them together, even if he was failing. Mandy hadn't woken up, and so she lay in her house as people came in and out, always with something new, a new method of patching her bandages, a new brew, something. But nothing worked. Mark was losing hope, fast. It had been about 10 days and so far, and Mandy hadn't gotten any better. At this point, it looked like she was just getting worse, and there was only so far down you could go before you- _No_. Mark was not thinking like that. Mandy would make it, whether she liked it or not.

    Right now, Mark sat next to Mandy, alone, as he often was. For one reason or another, people wouldn’t visit. Some were too heartbroken, as Amy was, and others just couldn't find the energy. They had taken a 2 day air-travel trip, then got attacked and flew the whole way back in less than quarter of the time. They’d struggled to keep Mandy alive during the flight, and when they had come back home, there was no food. There were about four people gathering food at this moment, and one of those people had taken an extra day to look for a cure. Mark had half-heartedly suggested that they check the village, but as expected, nobody seconded the idea.

    Today, Mark was to head out and find something. It was his day to scout, so he had to see Mandy for a last goodbye. He had no idea what state she would be in when he got back, so he wanted to have a moment with her, just in case. Mark reasoned to himself that she could be awake when he came back, but he knew he was saying goodbye for something else, something he simply could not face.

    “Okay Mandy, here goes. I'm wishing that you were here, I really am. I can't tell you good-bye. It'd feel too real. And I hate myself for not being able to just say 'I'm leaving, I'll be back', but it's hard. I would say ‘Don't go anywhere,’ but where the Hell are you going to go? Nowhere. That's right missy! You're going to stay right here, and you won't move until I get back! All you can do is breathe. You have to breathe. Please, keep breathing. When I get back, you had better be breathing. I don't know what I'd do if I had to come back to realize you had broken one of my rules. Especially the ‘Keep breathing’ rule. Don't you dare break that rule. I care about you too much...  
    "Bu-bye." Mark blinked his tears away and gave Mandy a small wave before exiting her small room. He made his way back to his own home, gathering his things that he had set inside the door. While casting a parting glance at his small home, his eyes fixed on the weird basket that Silent Seth had given him. With no hesitation, Mark grabbed it and finally made his way out the door.

    Mark was about 15 minutes into the thick forest when he heard something. A snap. Quickly he turned, and came face to face with none other than  
    “It’s you.” Mark said, looking into the beautiful baby blues. Beautiful? What? Mark quickly shook the thought off, inspecting Silent Seth. He inched towards Mark, studying him closely. His eyes squinted, as if in thought, then he opened his eyes wide. He motioned Mark to follow him, the took off into the forest. Mark thought for about for only a heartbeat before following his silent companion deeper into the forest. When he stopped, Mark skidded to a halt next to him. There, right in front of him where the reddest berries Mark had ever seen. It was a wonder he hadn’t found them yet. Silent Seth picked a bunch, then lay them inside Mark’s basket. Mark looked at them in confusion. He had no clue what the berries were for. He was opening his mouth to ask when a swift kick to the gut hit him. In the same second he was force-fed a red berry.  
As soon as the juice hit his tongue, he groaned in ecstasy. The taste was divine. A heavenly sweetness that made his mouth water for more. Instantly, he could feel his body relaxing, and his vision went fuzzy. He saw the smiling face of Silent Seth over him, looking wild and somehow tamed at the same time. Without thinking, Mark reached out for Silent Seth’s hand, wanting the warmth and comfort he knew his hand, and his hand alone could provide. Then his vision faded to black.  
  
    When Mark woke up, he found himself shrouded in darkness. Looking around, he saw that he was back to the edge of the forest, and that all of his things lay next to him neatly. Looking at it gave him a warm tingling in his gut. He couldn’t help but wonder what had happened, and after a quick search of his memories, he thought about how Silent Seth must’ve been the one to put his things the way they were. Wait a minute… Mark looked around again. That also means he must’ve carried me back. And yet, strangely enough, he didn’t feel as though he’d been dragged through miles of the woods. There were no scratches on his skin, no leaves stuck in his hair, nothing. For a second Mark entertained the thought that everything had been a dream. That he’d laid here all day, and simply dreamed of finding the mysterious man once again. But Mark quickly expelled the thought. He had definitely felt the kick, and he would never have set his things down so neatly.

    As Mark stood, he spotted something that just confirmed that the events previous had been real. A bushel of bright red berries sat in his basket. He recalled how the sweet nectar had instantly calmed and soothed him, and was thankful that he had been able to taste them. Normally, he would have marked his spot so that the berried could be found and promptly named by the rest of the Explorers, but knowing what was going on back at home, he didn’t have the energy.  
  
    Mark thought for a second, about how the berries had soothed the pain of the kick that had been delivered to him by Silent Seth. He thought of how quick he had been to fall asleep. And a quick peek under his shirt confirmed what his theory. No bruise. The plant was healing. Class 5; There had only been one healer plant so far, and it was mostly used for bandaging. Mark, along with the rest of the explorers, had been taught the different characteristics of different types of plants and animals when they were on Ainia.. These bright red berries fit the bill perfectly. Shouting out a quick thank you to the woods, he bolted off, in so much of a hurry he didn’t hear the quiet words being spoken in return.  
    “Anything for you, Mark.”

    When Mark arrived back at the base, he didn’t stop or answer any of the people who called out to him. He focused solely on getting to Mandy. The sun was setting, and he had to be quick. He didn’t want to waste a precious second. The faster he could get back to Mandy, the sooner she would get better.

    When he burst into Mandy’s room, he found Amy sitting next to her, on the bed. She started when Mark burst in, but relaxed a little when she saw who it was. She frowned at him, watching as he dropped everything to prepare the berry juice.  
    “Mark, what are you doing?” She slowly got off the bed, examining the the berries that Mark held. He grabbed a canteen from his bag and began to crush the berries in his hand, letting the juice run down his fist and into the canteen. “Mark, c’mon, what the hell are you doing?” Amy looked a little annoyed, but Mark didn’t mind her, continuing to crush the berries, handful after handful. Amy just watched until he was done. When he had crushed all but the last few, he stood up and walked towards Mandy.  
  
    “Seriously Mark, what do you think you’re doing?” Amy walked over to the other side of Mandy, looking alarmingly at the canteen in Mark’s hand.  
    “I found theses berries in the woods. I think they might be a Class 5.” That was all Mark had to say. Amy watched closely as Mark slowly opened Mandy’s mouth and put the canteen to her lips. He hesitated. What if they didn’t work? What if they were only meant for sleep? Was he stupid to trust the mystery man? Mark cast all those thoughts away. He needed to focus on Mandy right now, later he could worry about the consequences. But what if it kills her? A tiny voice said in his head.  
Mark silenced it and tipped the canteen up. For some reason, he felt more reassured about this than most anything before. Even with all his doubts plaguing his mind, for some reason he knew that they weren’t necessary. Why he had them anyway, he could not tell.  
  
    Slowly, the liquid poured out of the top, small clumps of seeds and berry skin making their way along with it, into Mandy slightly opened mouth. Amy quickly lifted Mandy’s head, so she wouldn’t choke. As more juice trickled out, they watched, and waited. Mandy swallowed, and swallowed some more. Her face expressed her bliss, as she weakly began to move. Mark and Amy stared in awe, glancing up at each other quickly before going back to monitor Mandy’s movements. She gulped at the juice, hungrily, and Mark tipped the canteen back further, just slightly, so more juice would come out. When she had finished the canteen, she lay back down, and Mark saw Amy’s expressions fall. But it immediately lifted again when they heard two words make their way out of Mandy’s mouth.  
    “Thank you.”  
    Both Mark and Amy looked at each other simultaneously. She’s going to be okay…

    Later, Mark walked around. He and Amy had told the Captain along with the rest of the Explorers what had happened. The Captain had asked where the berries had been found, but Mark could not remember. There had been trees, then Silent Seth had lead him through the trees to a clearing. But for some reason, Mark could not make himself say that last part. He always stopped with ‘there were some trees…’ That had irritated the Captain to no end, and so he shouted at Mark to go on a walk until he could remember something more.  
  
    Mark found himself instead coming up with why he shouldn’t tell them. They could try to attack his new-found friend, or perhaps deplete the resources so that nobody, not even Cry’s people, could have any. But no excuse made any sense. They were more likely to thank Silent Seth than to attack him, and the Captain would make sure that they only took what they needed. So why couldn’t Mark just tell everyone what had happened?  
Mark continued to walk, lost in thought. He didn’t notice when the mystery man sidled up next to him, and so he walked and walked and walked, savouring the calm silence of the night and allowing himself to sink completely into his thoughts. When Mark finally did look up, he was back at the clearing, and Silent Seth stood next to him, not moving, not speaking, just standing. Mark stood with him, and the both enjoyed the companionable quiet, the buzzing of insects and the odd rustle of leaves the only sound around them. Finally, Mark spoke.  
  
   “Thank you.” He looked to Silent Seth, then looked away, up into the night sky. The stars were bright, and Mark couldn’t help but be in awe. The diamonds of the sky were the only light, but they shone brightly, showing a kind of teamwork Mark previously thought didn’t exist. Together, they lit up the clearing, and the sharp shadows that accentuated his friends’ features proved to Mark that true beauty could exist.  
  
   For two seconds, Mark questioned himself, why he thought this man was beautiful. He had only ever heard the word being used to describe the females of his life, but he could not understand why. The man that stood in front of him was beautiful, from his thick eyebrows, to his round, full cheeks, to the slight smile that graced his lips. Mark stared and stared, and didn’t look away. He never wanted to look away. He wanted to stand here, watching as the silver light that shone up above brightened this man’s magnificently blue eyes, clearing them up and deepening them. He wanted to watch the sun rise and fall in those lovely eyes - the devastating eyes that took Mark’s breath away. He watched his lips, soft and supple, the colour of which was incomparable. The tinted pink was enticing, Mark could imagine the bliss and the pain those lips could administer. He watched, enraptured, as those lips opened and inhaled, and instead of air, what came out were words, just four words, but those four words shook Mark’s entire being to his core. He basked in those words, as he knew he would for the rest of his life.  
  
    “My name is Jack.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just know that the next chapter is coming out soon!


	5. The Cave of Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something big is coming... But could it possibly be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! Thank you for reading, truly! I feel like I haven't truly thanked you guys, so thank you, everyone! I cannot believe we hit 200 hits!! AH!! Thank you, truly! I am so happy that you guys like it! And thank you to ThatAnnoyingBella for all your support and how much you help me. This wouldn't have happened without you!

Amy

I shuddered. The place that I had wandered into was dark, dreary. I hated it, I wanted out, but I continued ahead, waiting for something to creep out from the shadows at any minute. I didn't care what my brain told me, there were things lurking down here, that I was sure of. I looked around. The walls were cold and slick walls, and there was a chill in the air that felt like wind, but made no breeze against my skin. I had goosebumps, and yet I continued. The dank area that I was in was a terrifying beast of a cave. I felt as though I was stepping into forbidden territory. This cave and its inhabitants didn't want me here. I continued on. I felt the cold seep into my bones, through my thin shirt, and into my boots. The expedition was far worse than I had feared. I was in darkness. Fear tugged at my , and shivers began to run themselves down my spine. I hugged myself in a futile effort to keep myself warm. And still, without pause, or even hesitation, I continued on. I hated myself for it. For everything that I had done. For looking in on Mark's life, like a fly on a wall, but I did it anyway. I watched as he gazed with loving eyes at the beautiful man of the forest. I had thought he was a native. But I was wrong.

Remembering Mark eyes, the way he looked at that man the way I wanted him to look at me... I felt anger and rejection warm me up, and marched on. I could no longer see anything in front of me. But for some reason, I could tell I was hitting a fork in the road. Maybe it was the stench of rot, death, and decay emanating from the right. Maybe it was the slight movement that I heard, never in front of me. It could have been the tingling sensation that ran itself up my body and gripped me, with the cold hands of death, latching on and never letting go. I went right. I kept going. I didn't care that the fear got stronger. I was pushed forward, not by my anger, nor my heartbreak, but by my own fear. I loved the feeling of being afraid. I loathed the fact that it was something I craved. I felt fear when I looked in Mark's eyes. Fear of rejection, fear of hurt. I was right to be afraid.  
  
The cave got seemingly lighter then impossibly dark as if I had descended into hell itself. I wanted to prove that I hated fear, so why had I done this? I couldn't answer myself. I didn't want to.  
Then, as if I was being guided, I felt a strong urge to look to my left. There, a pinprick of light amongst of the demons that lay in darkness, in shadows. I ran towards it. Something was chasing me, and fear shoved me forward. I felt my blood pumping, my heart racing - adrenaline was nowhere near this feeling. I could feel a hand grab me, choke me, but a quick shake of my head reminded me that I could get out if only I got to the light... It drew nearer, ever closer, and I didn't care what it was, it was light and light is good.

I soon realized that it was fire, coming toward me. And I was headed face first into the giant ball of fire, death approaching. As the ball raced toward me, I dodged, barely getting past it. I felt the burn, and I panted, moving forward once again, towards where the light had come from. My eyes felt burned, seared by the brightness of the fire, and I could feel that the side of my face was burned. I kept running, running, I couldn't stop. And then I got to it.

The wall lit up as if on cue, expecting my presence for the big reveal. Symbols and letters, pictures. A torch to the side. And one symbol, a symbol that shook me, that forced to the air out of my lungs... DEATH. MONSTER. The words rang in my ears as I backed away. I could hear the screams, feel the monster tearing into me, feeding off me. I could clearly see fire, ruins. I hated it. More than I ever hated anything in my life, I hated it. I wanted out, NOW!! I couldn't be here. My head spun with the realization that I was going to do die if I didn't get out now. I needed out!! I turned and ran, and when it was out of sight, I took a breath and kept running. I didn't stop running. All the way back. And when I got back to the field, lit with a warm soft glow, people celebrating Mandy's survival, I screamed. My head exploded. Pain, death everywhere. People surrounded me -no- MONSTERS surrounded me. I screamed once again. I kept screaming. I hated fear. I never wanted to feel the feeling again. And so I screamed…

  
Mark  
  
Jack... He had a name. Mark smiled at the man in front of him, at Jack. Mark couldn't help grinning, the smile taking up most of his face. Jack... what a beautiful name.  
"Mark." He murmured softly, introducing himself formally to the man. Jack looked at him, astounded, then softly laughed and nodded. He returned his gaze to the stars above him, smiling contentedly. Mark figured that was all Jack was willing to say, and Mark was completely fine with that. They stood in silence for a few more moments, before Jack sunk to the ground, slowly, graceful as a falling leaf. Mark followed, though not so gracefully. Jack lay back, lying on the soft earth, hand behind his head. From Mark's position, sitting up with his arms wrapped around his legs, he could admire Jack completely. From the way his eyes glowed, illuminating his small smile, to his soft creamy skin. He was a truly beautiful man, and nobody could disagree. At least, Mark thought so.  
  
Mark lay down next to Jack, folding his hands on his stomach. He turned so he was slightly towards Jack. He felt at peace. He saw the stars out of his left eye, and Jack on his right. It was a beautiful sight. He loved it. But then the peace and serenity were abruptly ruined.  
  
A blood curdling scream rang throughout the trees, startling both Mark and Jack, and they quickly sat up. They looked at each other, and Mark could tell that Jack was slightly afraid. Then, another scream. It was coming from... Oh no.  
Mark got up and began to run towards the field. He sprinted forwards, hearing silence behind him. A quick glance showed him that Jack was standing back, far back, unmoving. Mark continued ahead though, promising himself that he'd get back to Jack once more. But right now, he had to figure out what happened. The entire run through the forest, Mark questioned what could have happened. Another attack, maybe? But Mark couldn't come up with what it had been, so he pushed ahead, focusing on the world around him.  
  
When he arrived at the field, the scream had stopped, and he heard sobbing in its wake. The Explorers crowded around a small figure, curled in on herself. Mark quickly identified it as Amy. He pushed his way forward, to Amy's side. Slowly, he put his hand on her shoulder. She pushed him away, with nervous, jerky movements. She glanced at him, then promptly launched herself into Mark's arms. He held her, and looked around him at the rest of the Explorers, staring at him with shocked looks on their face. Mark took a deep breath and just held Amy upright. She fell into him as if she needed a crutch. Mark was happy to be her crutch, as long as that meant she was safe. When she had quieted, Mark finally spoke up.  
  
"What happened?" Mark was quiet, whispering the words into her ear. She shuddered, and then slowly loosened her hold on Mark.  
  
"There was a cave..." From there, she explained what had happened, skirting over why she was in the cave in the first place. She explained everything in perfect details, and by the end, everyone had uneasy looks on their faces. The Captain stepped forward.  
  
"Everyone, get to sleep. Tomorrow, I'll gather a team of five people to accompany me on the expedition. Amy, you'll go with us." Immediately, Mark piped up, indignant.  
  
"She just got back from that place. You can't possibly make her go back in there, it's her living nightmare." Amy shuddered once again, as if in agreement with Mark's statement.  
  
"We need to investigate this further, and to do that, we need to know where it is. She doesn't have a choice." The Captain turned and started to walk away.  
  
Mark let him, struggling for ideas. One look at Amy's face told him she wasn't ready to go back into that cave. Suddenly, Mark was struck with a thought.  
"What if you had a map?" Mark called out. The Captain stopped and turned back. "Amy could just mark where she had been, then you guys would know where to go and how to get there without her." The Captain squinted his eyes, sceptical.  
  
"And just how would you manage to do that?"  
  
"I... have my ways." Mark tried not to look guilty.  
  
"Okay then," The Captain appraised him, "If you can get me a map, and have Amy mark it, then she won't have to go." Mark smiled triumphantly. "But..." Mark's smile slowly melted off. "We are leaving tomorrow. Map or no map, we are leaving tomorrow morning." The Captain turned back and walked towards his own house. Mark breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why did you do that?" Amy stood behind him, looking grateful, yet shocked.  
  
"Because I care about you. You're my friend." Mark watched with veiled astonishment as that somehow made Amy's face fall. But Mark shook it off, choosing to focus on his next task than on Amy's confusing feelings. He started to walk to his house to prepare for the walk. He left Amy standing behind him, and the thought of where he was going filled his head, and he smiled. Jack...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! I love to see comments! Thanks! <3 You are appreciated!


	6. The First Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty self-explanatory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to update this! I promise, the next chapter will be out super fast, and soon as possible! There have been some complications in getting this out to you, but stuff happens in this chapter, and there is some fluff, so I think you'll like it! And know that the second part (or is it book? piece? thing? You know what I mean) is already in the making! I would begin to post it, but unfortunately, it would spoil everything! Sorry! But those updates will come quick, we just have to finish this one first! I love you much you guys love it, so thank you so much for reading and all your kudos and comments, I appreciate them all! And now, after that super-long note, I present to you, Chapter 6! Enjoy!! <3

   Mark began to wander back to the forest, thoughts of Jack occupying his mind. The smile on his face may have seemed odd, but Mark didn't care. He simply couldn't wait to see Jack again. His heart pounded in his chest with just the thought of seeing Jack's beautiful face once again. He couldn't help but feel elated when he thought about Jack's voice. It was so beautiful. And Mark wanted to hear it again. He quickly made his way through the forest, and so by the time he was at Jack's door once again, it had gotten so dark that he couldn't see two feet in front of him and he had multiple cuts from all of his falls. But as he waited with bated breath, he ignored the pain as he heard Jack's familiar footsteps. When the door swung open, Mark could just barely make out Jacks smile. At least, he hoped it was a smile... all he could see were teeth. Jack pulled him in, and Mark stumbled through the small wooden hut and into the cave. There he could see a small fire, and Mark admired the build of everything. The hole at the top of the cave allowed for the smoke to exit, and Mark couldn't help but wonder why it was there. But he ignored it as Jack came closer to him, slowly putting his arms around Mark. Mark was surprised, to say the least. He slowly wrapped his arms, around Jack, and for a very brief second, they stood there. But all too soon, Jack released him, and Mark was forced to come back to reality. He hated it, but the urgency of his mission would not allow any room for hugs.

   "Hey, Jack." Mark smiled when he said Jack's name, relishing the way it felt on his tongue. "I need your map." Jack just looked at him.

   "Why?"  Jack looked slightly confused, his head tilted adorably to the side. 

   "A friend of mine, she found something, and they want her to guide them, but..." Mark shook his head, recalling the way Amy had looked lost and defeated. Her eyes seemed haunted... no hunted. Mark stared at his feet, trying to come up with a reason as to why Amy would look like that. What was in those caves? Mark's curiosity was sparked and he desperately wanted to know what Amy had seen. 

   "Mark?" Jacks slightly hoarse voice pulled Mark from his thoughts. 

   "Sorry, I was just thinking..." Mark shook his head once again. "The Captain wanted to explore the area, but I couldn't let her go back. You should have seen her face. I don't know what was in that cave, but I-"

   "Cave?" Jack cut Mark off, a worried look replacing the curious one.

   "Yes, why?" Mark perked up. "Do you know where it is?" 

   "Yes..." Jack stood there for a while, and Mark saw a familiar fear in Jack's eyes.

   "Okay, then, can you show it them?" Jack shook his head, and Mark frowned. What was so bad about this cave? Bats? "Okay then, can I borrow your map? I know you have one, I saw it in your room." Jack looked skeptical. "Please, it's the only way to save Amy from having to go back." That seemed to make Jack's mind up. He sighed and walked into his room. A few seconds later Jack came back out and handed Mark a small piece of the map. Mark looked at it but realized that it would suffice. So he put it in his pack and looked up to see Jack casually leaning up against the cave wall gazing into the fire. Mark hesitated. He didn't want to leave, not quite yet. But he had to. The journey back would be long, and he needed to give himself plenty of time. He was already feeling much more tired than he had been previously. He hadn't slept since his impromptu nap after Jack gave him the berries and apparently dragged him through the woods. Mark thought about it for a second. He remembered questioning how Jack had gotten Mark to the edge of the woods. He didn't have any scratches on him, and he seemed as though he had been carried there. But Jack was so small...

   "How did you get me through the woods?" Mark watched Jack, and his face reddened slightly and he shrugged. Mark continued to look at him, contemplating whether or not he should press the issue. He chose not to and turned back around. The map in hand, he made his way back to the camp. 

   By the time he got there, the light of the sun was just beginning to illuminate through the trees. Mark hurried up to Amy's house and knocked on her door. She opened it and gave a relieved sigh when she saw who it was. Mark handed her the map and followed her into her house.

   "Thank you so much, I was worried that you wouldn't make it in time." Amy looked around, possibly for something to mark it with. Finally, she found some chalk that was sitting on a window ledge. She quickly marked her path and rushed out of the house. The hurried across the field, and up to the Captain. Mark stood back, waiting for Amy to return. She quietly handed the Captain the map, and Mark could see the surprise on his face as he accepted the map. He said something to her, then turned to the team he had assembled. Mark considered asking to join but decided against it. He was exhausted, and sleep was much more important than settling his curiosity. 

   Amy rushed back over to him, and Mark watched, body aching. He really did need to sleep. She gave him a hug, and for a second Mark just absorbed her natural scent. He knew that each of the Explorers had their own distinctive scent, a trait inherited from the Xorans. She smelled like soft grass and rich dirt, along with a slightly minty-sweet undertone. It was a great scent, but Mark couldn't say it was his favorite. He knew that he vastly preferred the smell of fresh flowers and pine wood. 

   He could almost feel the cool dirt under him as he lay under the canopy of jungle leaves. He sighed, his imagination letting him sink in the thought. Flowers surrounded him, the smell of pine accompanying their fresh aroma. He could hear the soft whispers of the wind the drifted throughout the trees. He wanted to stay in this paradise forever. But... something was missing from it. The second he thought that he could hear soft footsteps, familiar footsteps. He smiled, and something in his chest settled, relaxing him to the point where he could feel sleep tugging at his conscious. Just before he drifted off he felt a comfortable weight rest on him, arms wrapping around him. The smells around him peaked, growing so strong it was overwhelming. His own arms circled a slim waist, and he could feel it pumping through his veins. He never wanted to let go of-

   "Mark!" Mark was shaken awake, ripped from his dream. Amy was gripping his shirt, and Mark could feel a turn in his stomach. With a sharp pain in the back of his head and bottom, he found himself staring up at the sky. Amy leaned over him, lips twitching. "Mark, what happened?"

   Mark shrugged, causing Amy to burst into laughter. Mark smiled at her, slightly baffled by the fact that he had fallen asleep mid-hug. As Amy's laughter died down, Mark made his way to his feet, struggling for a second before, with tears laying out of her eyes, Amy helped him up. 

   Amy wiped her tears away, taking a few deep breaths before completely calming down. 

   "Oh Mark," Amy sighed. "You need some rest buddy." Amy chuckled and Mark joined her. She gave him s pat on the back and made her way back towards her house. "Thanks, Mark. And don't forget that tomorrow you need to be ready to go into the town." Mark's brows furrowed. 

   "What? I was never told about that." Amy turned back towards Mark, still going back to her house. 

   "Well, now you know." She shrugged and jogged to her house. When she was safely inside, Mark decided to head on back to his own little home. The second his head hit the mattress he passed out. 

 

2 days later

   Mark woke to darkness. Looking around, he wondered what it was that had woken him up. He listened waiting calmly for any sign of the thing that had roused him from sleep. Then he heard what was unmistakably someone calling his name.

   "Mark, please wake up. I need you." The whispers drifted through the window of his room. He couldn't identify who it was, but whoever it was was a man. Mark sat up in his bed, getting up and going over to the window. He peered into the darkness, searching for the figure. And just to his right, he found him. The figure was slim and completely hidden in shadow. His voice was carried through to Mark's ears, and his heart jolted at the sound.

   "Mark, please let me in. I really need you right now." Jack stood outside, pain evident in his voice. Mark nodded and gestured to the front door. The window was too small for him to get through. Mark walked through the house to the door, opening it and allowing Jack to enter. That's when he noticed Jack's slight limp and went over to some candles that rested on the wall and lit them. Mark turned to Jack and gasped. Long cuts ran down Jacks’ arms, his legs bloody and bruised, one had a deep yet short cut running down it, which explained the limp. He looked frazzled, but that was not what disturbed Mark. Jack had two long and thin burn like wounds crossing his entire chest. They resembled what Mark could only say were whip lashes. They festered and boiled, and Mark could almost feel how much they hurt.

   "What happened?" Mark's voice came out as a whisper, but Jack stumbled to Mark. He collapsed in Mark's arms, and Mark could feel his eyes well up before he angrily pushed all the sadness out. Whatever had hurt this beautiful man was going to pay. 

   Mark carried the man into his room, cocooning him in the furs he had in his home. He hated the fact that Jack had been attacked, but right at the moment, there wasn't anything he could do. After Jack was securely tucked in, Mark walked out onto the field. He gathered all the medical supplies, including some of the Mranyea leaves. They had been the only healing substance found on the planet, but after the discovery of the berries, they were quickly forgotten. There was a limited supply of it due to the Captain's journey, but Mark grabbed all he could. He carried it back to his home and made his way to Jack's side. 

   Jack looked bad. The blood soaked through most of his T-shirt and ran down into Mark's bed. But he didn't care. Mark carefully fixed the long thin leaves around Jack's legs, sealing the wound. Jack groaned softly and shifted onto his side, but then lay still, pale skin damp and cold. 

   Mark lay close to him, warming him up as much as possible. He watched Jack closely, looking for any signs of change. Later Mark thought it had started to get lighter outside, but when he looked out the window he saw only darkness. So he went back to Jack, who was now facing away from him. So he lay next to Jack, but once again he could see light radiating through his eyelids. This time he didn’t try to get up, deciding instead to lay there and revel in Jack’s presence. For a moment Mark thought about how he has changed. Before, Jack was some strange entity that Mark desperately needed to know more about. But now… Mark smiled, opening his eyes, ready to embrace the sunlight. That's when he saw it.


	7. Mark's half

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark's version of things...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I haven't seen you in so long! I had to upload this because I have a question that needs an answer....  
> But that's for later! Read on, my dude!
> 
> Edit : I had to rewrite it. It just... it was all over the place and ridiculous and made no sense. And this chapter and the next depict completely different events btw, so, yeah! But hopefully it's better! Let me know!

Mark stilled, the glow from the wings mesmerizing him. They looked soft, and he reached an arm out to caress them. He watched his hand, and as his fingers made contact with the silky material, he saw Jack’s back tense suddenly. As if in a trance, Mark smoothed down the wings, attempting to calm Jack. He lay there, smoothing them over, until he was startled as Jack shot out of the bed. Mark quickly sat up, watching as Jack moved over as far from the bed as he possibly could. Mark waited patiently, knowing that if he waited long enough, gave Jack his space, Jack would explain everything. This was confirmed when he began speaking.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Jack’s voice was hushed, but whether it was due to the hour or shame, Mark had no idea. “I didn’t want to keep it a secret, but I just never felt the need to say anything. If you knew, you’d ask questions I couldn’t answer, and I….” He trailed off, and breathed in a ragged breath. “I’m sorry. Thank you for the bandages, I’ll replace them later.”

Mark hopped out of bed, watching alarmed as Jack tried to limp towards the door. He caught Jack’s shoulders, and turned him so that Mark could see his face. Mark smiled, and he could finally figure out what that strange something was that seemed lodged next to his heart. It was Jack’s.

Throughout their entire lives, the explorers had been given lessons about themselves and Xoran heritage. As the Xorans tested and observed, they were able to tell the Explorers what traits of Xorans of they had, and what was purely human. One of the first things they learned about was soulbearing. The Xorans used it as a way to find mates, people to love forever. They concluded that with the humans notions of soulmates, this ability would be enhanced. Not only would they find someone to love forever, but that the couple would share abilities, and each would become more powerful upon the meeting of the soulbearer. They could never be certain, since many humans didn’t believe in the idea of soulmates. The captain had found his soulbearer only a month before we were to make our journey out. As everyone got to know each other, and became friends, those two fell in love. It was beautiful in Mark’s eyes. 

Mark recalled asking Captain what it was like. 

“It’s not just being happy, Mark,” Captain had told him. “It’s about being content. At peace. Feeling that you could stop your life at that moment and never look back. It’s knowing that happiness can just sit there, right next to you, and you can bask in it’s glow anytime you want. It’s having your heart be full, and needing nothing else. When I met her….” Captain smiled, and glanced at Mark. “I could feel her heart, right there. Right next to mine, y’know?” Captain put a hand on his chest, over his heart, and closed his eyes. “And when I concentrate hard enough, I could myself through her. It is so far from amazing, man. It’s heaven.”

Mark smiled at Jack, and tilted his head up so that he could see his gorgeous blue eyes. They were scared, but Mark just smiled. Because he knew. He closed his eyes, and felt the warmth that resided in his chest, attached to his heart. It was like a shadow of warmth fell upon him. This time, instead of seeing himself, all he could feel was pain from various cuts and bruises. The pain was worse than he could have expected, and he almost lost his grip on this new feeling. He focused on the largest cut, a long gash that cut deep into Jack’s torso. Slowing, he imagined stitching the skin back together, the muscle pushing together. And he imagined this, he could hear Jack gasp, low in his throat. He smiled, and as he felt that cut heal to a scar, he smoothed the scar over, and opened his eyes. 

The shadow lifted, and he watched as Jack slowly slid his shirt up his chest to reveal the newly healed skin. There wasn’t even a hint that a cut had been there. Mark closed his eyes and concentrated once more, and slowly but surely, he focused on healing each one of Jack’s wounds. Just as he was finished, the shadow abruptly lifted, and fatigue slammed into him, and he stumbled. 

Jack caught him just before he collapsed onto the bed. Mark slowly fell onto the bed, and chuckled. 

“Figures,” Mark said, as Jack looked at him curiously. “Figures that the first time I try that, I almost faint.” He chuckles again, and Jack gives him a small smile. 

“How did you know you would be able to do that?” Jack asks, looking down at Mark. Mark watches Jack, trying to figure out how much he knows and how much he should. He looks at Jack's wings, and finally notices something. They’re scarred. No, they’re branded.

“What did you do.” Mark’s voice is hushed, and Jack pales, noticing where Mark’s eyes are. 

“Mark, I…” Jack trails off, and Mark remembers Jack earlier words. 

_ “If you knew, you’d ask questions I couldn’t answer…”  _ Despite Mark’s dying curiosity, he had to let it go. He had to let Jack tell him when Jack was ready.  _ If I love him, I have to respect him. _

Mark gestures for Jack to take a seat next to him on the bed. Wearily, Jack sits, his arm and leg making contacts with Mark’s, and Mark is suddenly aware that Jack is shirtless. At some point while Mark was healing Jack, he must’ve taken it off, as it lies on the ground where they had previously been standing. Mark blushes and tries not to glance down. His efforts are futile. 

“Mark,” Jack sighs, startling Mark from his trance. “I don’t know what happened, or how, but I’m grateful. There aren’t many people who would even bother helping me. So I’m happy that I have you in my life.” 

Jack’s eyes drift over to Mark, and Mark can’t breathe. The shadow descends over them once again, but this time, Mark can see himself. He can see his dilated pupils and heated cheeks. He can see the way he licks his lips, and how ruffled his hair is. Shallow breathing, and how his adam’s apple bobs when swallows.  _ Desperate _ . He looks desperate. Like he’s begging Jack. But begging Jack for what? The shadow lifts, and Mark is back to looking at Jack, and sees the same look mirrored on Jack’s face. Pink cheeks, deep red lips, untamed hair and wild eyes. If only Mark could figure out what they’re desperate for-

Jack cut him off with a kiss, and Mark’s vision explodes. His eyes closed, but this time the shadow stays far away. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry it's so short! This is Mark's version of these events. If I were to write the alternate version, it would have to be from Jack's POV, considering he is the only other person who was involved. If I were to do his POV, the details would be a little bit more clear, and wouldn't involve so much inner turmoil. You would get more insight as to what is actually going on, instead of a blurred out version where it mostly just tells you the basics and asks you to use your imagination. Sorry if this chapter felt all over the place. But I wanted to see if guys wanted that or if you'd like to just get on with the story already, so that we can get over all of this! Anyway, let me know what you think! Should I add that chapter or not? This of course would be a one time thing, and I think it would be easier to write the next chapter, but at the same time, some people aren't really a big fan of POV switching, sorry about that last one! So yeah, let me know what you think! Please and thank you!! <3
> 
> Edit : That is not what the next chapter will be, but thank you for your input! Changing this chapter forced me to change the next one, but like I said, it was all over the place!


	8. Jack's half

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Jack went through...
> 
> Edit : I edited this, just as I did the last one. Still contains some of Jacks perspective, but mostly because otherwise it would have been boring. Also, I don't hate Amy, She's cool, But I had to make her. For the sake of the story lol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that I saw kind of all over the place with my decision, but as you can see, I decided to post this chapter. This moment in the story is quite a big moment, and so I thought "Hey, if I'm gonna do the POV switch-up, might as well make it count, right?" And a friend of mine read it and told me that I should include it, so here we are! Thank you for letting me know your thoughts on the matter, I tried to avoid all the bad things that happen when POV switching occurs, so let me know if you think I did a good job! Please and thank you! <3
> 
> Edit : I edited this, just as I did the last one. Still contains some of Jacks perspective, but mostly because otherwise it would have been boring. Also, I don't hate Amy, She's cool, But I had to make her. For the sake of the story lol.

Amy

I woke with a gasp. I had dreamt I was in the cave, but this time, I couldn’t find my way out. I went around my little house, lighting every candle, and still, I could feel my body vibrating. I knew that what I needed was another person. What I needed was Mark. He would help, scare all the demons away. I needed him.

I slipped on a better shirt and some shorts, and slipped out of my house. Mark’s was only a few yards away, but in the middle of the night, it felt Like hundreds of yards. I almost went back to get another candle, but decided against it. It would probably have woken up other people, and I didn’t want anyone else asking me if I was okay.

Slowly, I crept up towards Marks door. Before knocking, I wanted to check on whether or not he was asleep. Slowly, I made my way towards the bedroom window, and peeked inside. What I saw made my stomach turn in disgust. Mark and that  _ man _ , the one from the clearing. But they were both...naked. Their wings overlapped, and I could see the man’s bright green wings curled up over his chest. And the branding on it made me want to vomit. I had spent at least three years being afraid of the man with those markings. Dakonis. The marking of a man whose done so much evil, not even Xorans would allow them to live. Markings that were made for eternal suffering. Made for only those who deserved no peace, no happiness, no life. On the man who had his body wrapped around Mark. 

I turned, furious, disgusted, but most of all afraid. Those who had those markings earned it. They had no remorse, no grief for those other than themselves. They could kill everyone on Xoran without a thought, as long as they thought it could be  _ fun _ . 

That man, here. _What do I_ _do?_ Quickly, I hurried over to Wade’s home. Wade was a great warrior, one of the best of us all. His inability to sneak made it certain that he would’ve been held back from going to explore the cave. He could take care of his.

I knocked on his door, waiting for him to show. He opened the door, his face going from exhausted to battle ready as he examined probably disheveled and terrified appearance.

“What do you need?” 

Jack watched the ceiling. Every now and then, one of Mark’s wings would caress Jack’s chest, making Jack shiver a little bit. He couldn’t believe he’d just…. Jack did not do Impulse. If he did, he would’ve died long ago. He had learned to have control, or to take it. Every word, every action was thought out, carefully planned. So for him to let go like that scared him. But it also excited him. There was something so freeing about letting Mark take control, to let Mark take on the worries and consequences. Jack never could have imagined that he would feel so comfortable in the possession of someone else. 

And just like that, the peace shattered, along with the door to the bedroom, Jack sat up, and scrambled, looking for something to use as cover, and protection. At the door were three burly men and four fierce-looking women, all holding weapons. They advanced on Jack, and before he could say anything, he was whisked away. There were knives digging into various body parts, and he felt exposed, open, like his skin had been turned inside-out. He was dragged out of Marks house, and he could hear Mark calling his name from inside the house. Jack stayed silent, and tried his best to smother the rising terror. 

He was thrown onto the ground, and immediately kicked a man held a spear to his throat. He was suddenly reminded of the first time he had encountered Mark. He pushed the memory away, and used his last bit of hope to retract his wings.

The man holding the spear above him pushed the blade against his throat, glaring at him.

“What the hell did you do? And how did you get here?” He growled, and the surrounding people silent, anticipating his answer. He chose to stay silent, knowing that this battle is impossible. It had been drilled into his head that no matter what people may say, they don’t really want to know the truth. They want their lies confirmed. 

“Answer me!!” He shouted. Still, Jack remained silent. The man looked up at his comrades, and they seem to come to a decision. The man looked at Jack, before impaling him with the spear. It drove through his shoulder and into the ground beneath it. Jack couldn’t hold back his agonized scream, though he tried his best to cut it off. The man left Jack to his screams and stood off to the side while his friends took turns cutting his up and shouting question he couldn’t answer at him.

“STOP!” A voice boomed across the clearing, and everyone turned. Jack lay panting, hoping against hope that whoever it was would at least give him a chance to run. A murmur went through the crowd as everyone parted for a black-clad man, with brown hair and eyes. At his side was a woman with red streaks through her hair. She looked at him sympathetically and she took off her jacket to drape over him. She crouched next to him, and Mark came running, stopping beside the man in black before kneeling before Jack. The woman began to take out the various weapons, barking out orders to people standing nearby. She looked at the spear for a second, then stood up to whisper in the man’s ear. 

The man in black looked around at everyone, then walked away, Torturer and Co following behind, throwing him menacing glares as they did. 

“My name is Stephanie.” The woman said. “I’m sorry that you had to go through that. Usually I’d be here to keep order, but I’m in charge of map-reading around here, and our mission was important. Either way, they had no right to do that, and I’m going to do all I can to help, okay?” Jack just nodded, glancing at Mark. 

Mark looked broken and scared, and as he examined all of Jack’s wounds, he seemed to worsen. 

“Mark?” Jack croaked. Mark’s eyes snapped to Jack’s face. “Could you go and get me some proper clothes please? I just-”

“Yeah of course.” Mark interrupted. He briefly squeezed Jack’s hand, then got up and went back inside his house. When he was out of earshot, Jack looked to Stephanie and quickly began to speak under his breath.

“Quick, break it, or pull it out. Before he comes back.”Stephanie gave him a startled look. “I can handle the pain, and I can handle the ridicule, but I cannot see him get tormented by his own friends because I have issues.” She nodded and grasp the shaft of the spear. Taking a deep breath, she hesitated. “Please.” 

She broke the staff, pulling him off of what was left. He immediately took off. Mark exited, and when he saw Jack flying up, he took off after him, a large gust of wind scattering the bloodied weapons that lay around where Jack had been laying. 

He quickly caught up to him, but Jack just looked back, his eyes swimming in held back tears and one whispered word left his lips...

“Please…”

And Mark let him go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will go up later today, I just need to brush it off, so you won't have to wait too long! And it's an actual chapter, not one of these short blips of words.
> 
> Edit: These are two different events!! You may want to read it! It's quite important.


	9. The panic and the frenzy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is gone, what will Mark do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me. Please. I love you! And I promise, this isn't the end. It's only half-way through! Please, don't hate me...

    "Mark? Mark, it's me. Can you hear me? Hey, it's Mandy. You saved me, remember?" A soft sigh. "Well, Mark, now it's my turn to save you. Mark, I promise, I will help you. No matter what." A mournful whimper, followed by the rustling of sheets.

    Mark shut her out. He didn't want help. He lay on his bed, waiting for someone, anyone to take his empty, beatless heart and shattered bones and shove him deep within the earth. There was a pain, something deep within in that felt stolen, ripped from his heart. Every breath was accompanied by agony and a memory. A slight smile, searing eyes, and a soul that fit his own like puzzle pieces. Better than that, even. And with the bout of happiness he felt at those memories, another, a darker memory surfaced, thrust in his mind, reminding him of the horrible and pitiful creature he truly was. Bloodied lips, pleading with him. Tears, beautiful pain that leaked from his eyes. And his whole being torn from his body in one fell swoop.

    Mark knew he shouldn't have reacted like that. It stood out in his mind, the one moment where he fucked up! The fear and heartbreak overtaking him, making him feel lesser. But right now, all he cared about was Jack. Jack was gone, and Mark knew that because of his actions, Jack wasn't coming back. The center of his universe, the entirety of his heart rested with that man. And he had pushed him away. Mark was the only one at fault.

    Something pushed him, and he rolled off of his bed. The impact was hard, but not hard enough. His skull bounced off of the merciless stone, echoing in his head. Thoughts of his failure dulled the pain, and though he wished it would hurt more, he knew that he didn't deserve to get what he wanted. His chest was full, almost to bursting, and not with anything good. Mark couldn't pinpoint what it was, but whatever hurt like hell and pushed out any and all good emotions he may have been able to conjure up in his broken mind and heart. It felt like stone, pushing it's painful path up his throat, taking sobs with it every now and then.

    Calm footsteps made their way over to him, stopping at his head. He couldn't see through his tears, but by the smell of dew and honeysuckle, he could tell that it was Mandy. Her knees appeared in front of him, the rest of her body following as she lay next to him. For a moment, they just breathed together, Mark's labored and Mandy's soft and sweet. Mark could feel the boulder in his chest shrink an infinitesimal amount. Mark mourned the loss, feeling that if it went away completely, that would mean he didn't care about Jack. So he willed it back, looking back to when Jack was happy, and then to how quick he had been to hurt him, over something so small and insignificant. Granted, the presence of his wings didn't seem so small when he had found out, but compared to the loss of Jack, to the pain of hurting Jack, it was nothing, less than that. Every nerve in his being screamed with sorrow and grief, knowing that Jack would never come back.

    Mark had known, deep in his heart that he would do something to drive Jack away. Even as he stared into Jacks depthless blue pools, he knew. If he had been smarter, not done what he had done, would Jack still be here? Even if he had never laid one finger on Jack's perfect skin, would Jack have stayed? Mark doubted it, and that thought made the loss of Jack that less painful.

    "Hey, Mark?" Mandy gazed into Mark's lifeless eyes, as Mark looked far off into the past, before he had placed himself in his own personal hell. "Mark, Amy has something she wanted to tell you. Is that okay? I don't know what it is, so I can't be the one to decide." Mandy watched Mark for a minute, but he didn't move. She was just about to get up and leave when Mark slowly blinked, trying to nod his head but not having the energy to. She took that as confirmation, and with a brief hug, she rose from the floor and left to get Amy.

    Mark waited for a while, Jack haunting him, keeping him locked in his head, unable to think or see clearly. His heart began to beat a bit faster, and his own doubt stood over him, tall and dark, crushing him under its boot. His world was spinning, rapidly going out of control. He couldn't think, or breathe, or even move. Jack invaded his mind, but only for a fleeting moment, before darkness and the hopeless wish for death consumed him. His heart was pounding in his chest, hollowly, an echo of what it once was. He urged it to stop, indefinitely. Pain and agony shot through his body, highlighting every monstrous thing he'd ever done, all of his failures, his destructiveness. And for the first time, Mark wanted to spill blood. To tear someone's throat out, to terrify them, rip them limb from limb. And that person was himself. He was in a downward spiral, heading to rock bottom, and it shocked him that he was not already there.

    Unbeknownst to him, his body shook and tears poured from his eyes. Screams could be heard all around the field, and everyone, even those who had previously had no connection to Mark became sympathetic. Amy and Mandy shook him, willing him to snap out of it. Every available person was rallying around him, unsure of what to do but providing all the help they could nonetheless. Water poured over his head, hands stinging from slaps delivered on his cheeks, People trying everything in an attempt to get him to wake. The Captain stood by the side, waiting for the right moment. He knew how these things worked and he was unafraid of hurting Mark, unlike all the rest. He knew that a bit of pain here could mean the life or death in the future.

    So when he saw the moment, the flash of relief in Mark's eyes, the eye of the storm, he knew that's when he should strike. So he gave Mark a swift kick to the gut, wrenching him from the mass destruction and chaos raging in his head. His screams followed him into the conscious world until he opened his eyes. The screaming died down, and Mark could finally feel the black hole he had been closed, to some degree. Mark was shaking, eyes wide as he tried to comprehend what had just happened. He watched as the Captian took off, leaving him to be bombarded with questions he couldn't answer. He pulled himself back from the edge, and he suddenly remembered something, something that felt extremely important for unknown reasons. His eyes searched for dark brown ones, and when he found the familiar irises, he ushered her closer.

    "Amy, what is it?" Mark asked, breathless, holding back all of his almost overwhelming emotions. She looked down, then shrugged.

    "It's nothing that can't wait." She took a quick glance around the room, before returning her eyes to her shoes. "Anyway, you wouldn't want to hear it in front of all these people." Mark looked at her for one moment, gathering up strength. He grabbed her arm and pushed her into a small room right outside his bedroom. People called out and tried to hold him back, but a combination of his fleeting looks and stance, along with Mandy's soothing words, they let him go.

    "Okay," Mark said, closing the door. The room was sparse and small but comfortable. "Now that we aren't in front of all those people tell me." Amy opened her mouth to protest when Mark stopped her. "Please, Amy. I need to know." Amy took a slow deep breath and nodded.

    "Umm, well, y'know last week, when you and Jack had that fight?" Mark was fighting hard to hold back, and it must have shown because Amy hurried on with her story. "I saw Jack leaving and then when you fell, I looked back and saw something." Dread filled his already full lungs. He waited for her to continue, which she thankfully did. "He fell. Out of the sky. I don't know quite where he landed, but I saw him fall." Mark was dizzy, and the emotions burst through. This was all his fault. Jack was dead...because of him.

 

    Everything fell apart then. Mark's entire world collapsed, disappearing right from under him. But fortunately, this is not the end. No, my dear friends, this is, as they say, just the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY! Please don't kill me. I'm just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world! (Sorry) I promise, this isn't it. There's more, oh so much more, but I will warn you, it gets worse before it gets better. But when it gets beter, it gets WAY better, so stick around, please!


	10. Info!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some stuff you might need to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOODNESS!! I AM SO SORRY!!!! Okay, here's the deal: I left, took a trip, a road trip to be exact. Me and a friend just drove around, something we desperately needed to do. And I forgot that I need my laptop! So there I was, trying to convince my best friend to drive over 100 miles back home so that I could be able to update. Then we ran into a few problems. Namely, no internet. None. Nada. We drove on secluded roads, so while I was somewhat able to work on this, I found myself unable to post anything! So here we are! I'm here, for a short while, to tell you that I am on my way home!! That means it's back to (semi) regular updates! As soon as I get home, I will post this giant chapter that needs posting, but for now, it's too long and the internet connection is crap, so I'm sticking to this. PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I'm truly sorry, but we left in a hurry and not very prepared. I would have posted something sooner, but who cares? You'll get all the delicious story I've been waiting to give, all in a short time. I promise!

Signifyer - Something that helps to find and identify dead Xorans. This is usually referring to the main three.

1) Sign (Smell) - When a Xoran dies, their scent begins to rot, spreading outwards until the remains are found. 

2) Bond - This causes the being s closest to the deceased Xoran (emotionally) to react in varying ways. The closer you are, the worse your reaction. The reaction, known as the Negation occurs when the Xoran is close to death, not exactly when they die, but it usually is a sign that the Xoran will die unless tended to immediately.

3) Blood - This is not the red liquid that oozes out of wounds, but something else entirely. The wings of the Xoran will "melt", forming a silky substance that will then soak into the remains of the Xoran. It sticks to the heart, and when in contact will let out a softly glowing beam so that the body may be found at night. 

 

These are not to be messed around with. It is seen as highly rude and offensive to mess with the body's natural process. The Blood is not to be touched by all but one person, normally the mate, but if not then a parent. There are no exceptions to the rules, but there are other signifyers, though the big three are the most important and most reliable ones.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kept it short and sweet, so you'll remember it!


	11. What happened after

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is far from the end. Stick with me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much could happen. Please, don't leave yet. I promise, this is as bad as it gets, and in the next story, I will make it up to you. The next story will be so happy, you won't believe it! So please, trudge through this. There is more, I'm working as hard as I possibly can to get everything out. Sorry! <3 U

     Nothing made sense. People scrambling to calm Mark, to stop him. The forest, denying him the satisfaction of seeing Jack, Amy, and Mandy telling him that Jack was dead.  
Mark was not in shock. He was not numb. Oh no, it was far worse than that. Mark was angry. He was terrified. but most of all, Mark was vengeful. Getting Jack was number one on his list of priorities, but on the other side of that, if he couldn't get Jack back, everyone would die. Even himself.

     Power-housing through the forest was harder than it seemed to Mark. It stretched for miles, and from above, nothing could be seen. That's what Amy had said, at least. Due to the amount of grief and pain, Mark was experiencing, he couldn't spread his wings. It was strange because taking flight had usually been the answer. It was calming, easy, a simple task requiring little mental and physical effort. He could think up there in the clouds, but it seemed like his wings burned at even the thought of being spread. Almost like they were ashamed of him.

     Mark traveled through the forest, unaware of his surroundings. His mind was occupied with thoughts of Jack, and he couldn't think or see anything else. He peered into every meadow and clearing, examined endless trees, and trails, and stood silently, listening for any sign of Jack's presence in these woods. But still, he found nothing.  
All Mark wanted to do was break down, but every time his mind even began to crack, his wings would tingle and burn, and his mind would flood with images of Jack in need. So every time his energy began to expire, it would replenish. At this point, Mark simply needed something to either confirm or deny Amy's statement.

     The animals were a big help. Not that they knew that, of course. But their silence told Mark that they had been disturbed, and somehow, he revealed in the sound. But a cacophony of noise told him that it was untouched. Much like Jack. So he avoided those areas. He ruins things like that.

     Amy, on the other hand, was no help. She was continuously discouraging Mark from going out and finding Jack. It was infuriating because it wasn't hurting anyone. There wasn't anything out there that could possibly hurt him, as far as she knew. Mark simply couldn't stand the others. They had taken something so beautiful, and so pure, and they had ruined it. Jack deserved freedom and peace. So he didn't let the others help him. He didn't know what they'd do when they found him, and he couldn't trust that they would leave him be. He knew that if it had not been for him, if Mark had only had a shred of self-control, if Mark had just let Jack be, they wouldn't be in this situation. Mark would be able to go and visit Jack in his little home, on his soft and warm bed, and be happy. 

     Captain marched over to where Mark was stopped, next to a wall of trees and bushes, listening to all the different animals. He couldn't identify most of the sounds he heard, but he didn't mind. It was beautiful and natural, and Mark wanted to practice simply enjoying the beauty of things before it all went to hell. The Captain stopped next Mark, knowing that Mark needed these moments. The Captain was surprisingly understanding about these things. When they finally moved, the Captain broke the semi-comfortable silence.

     "Mark, you need to stop." Captain's voice was harsh and unforgiving. Mark paused for a moment to absorb it, then moved on. He wouldn't be deterred. "Mark, I'm serious." Mark pushed on. The Captain stopped moving a while back, so he was far enough away that his tone didn't have any effect on Mark. "Mark, Jack is dead." That made Mark stop. He had heard that already, but he was curious as to why the Captain was bringing it up now. He had agreed that they needed concrete evidence of Jack's death before they could call anything in. All Amy had seen was Jack's plummet into the trees. Nothing else.

     "What do you mean?" Mark's words were quiet, but the Captain could have guessed what the question was just by Mark's stature.

     "We found something. Not Jack, but... not Jack." Captain seemed reluctant to say anymore, but Mark marched over to him, grabbing his collar in a display of dominance nobody had seen from someone who wasn't the Captain. Some would see it as a weakness, but the team saw it as a sign of strength. Walking away and staying calm was a strength, and right now, Mark was weak.

     "What did you find?" Mark spat, spittle flying from his gritted teeth. The Captain didn't even flinched, but instead looked calmly at Mark, breath even. "Tell me!" Mark shook the Captain, and still, the Captain remained silent. Mark, with a frustrated and terrifying growl, threw the young man into a tree. And finally, finally, his wings spread.

     The wings were usually a brilliant pink, but now they were dulled down into creamy color. They were pale and weak, the disuse making them tremble with each beat.

     It wasn't quite the relief Mark had thought it would be, but he didn't care. He could see the entire expanse of the forest, into the horizon. Searching ever so efficiently, Mark began to glide around above the trees. He could not remember a time when flying caused him this much panic. And there, he saw it. A hole in the trees, where something must have fallen. Mark's heart was beating insanely inside his chest as he saw red. And not out of anger. He dived into the break, wincing as flecks of dried blood scraped against his wings. But that wasn't the worst. What Mark saw made his wings retract, and he stumbled down on his knees.

     Blood. It covered everything. The entire clearing had a spattering of it everywhere. But the worst part of it all was the middle. Right there, chewed flesh and bits of bone were all that was left of the human. That and green matter, a small pool of it lying on top of the blood. Mark screamed. He shouted his vengeance at the top of his lungs before they broke and sat there, sobbing. Soon, Amy and Mandy emerged from the trees, and Mark turned his grief on them.

     "How could you?" Mark shouted at them. He couldn't breathe, not at all. But he managed just fine with his endless reserves of heartbreak and pain. "You did this! It was you!" Amy and Mandy stood there, Amy shocked and Mandy empathetic. "If you hadn't chased him away, if you hadn't tortured him, he would still be with me!"

     Amy simply stood there, still and shocked. Mandy gave her a look, knowing that even though Mark was grief-stricken, what he had said was true. Amy could have kept quiet, or at least waited until they could talk to Mark. She didn't have to go to the people she knew would only hurt Jack. And neither of them should've just stood by. Mandy Slowly tugged Amy back, so that Mark could properly mourn his loss.  
Mark stared at Jack's remains, trying to picture Jack in all that was left. But there wasn't enough left for Mark to picture it properly. All he could think of was Jack's wings. How brilliant they must have been. All that was left of what was sure to have been their supple beauty was a pool of neon green warmth. Mark could compare it to liquefied energy, losing its power. And he could see it. In that one instant, he could see everything.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

     Jack, happy and content with Mark, on a hill. They watched the stars endlessly, talking for hours and hours. Mark could listen to Jack speak forever, and often times he tried. But then Jack would giggle, and Mark would be forced to laugh along.

     "So, Mark..." Jack said, calming down from his laughter. "What do you want to do tomorrow?"

     "Besides lay next to you all day?" Mark questioned, earning a smile from Jack.

     "I think you do enough of that already." Jack gestured to the absence of space between them.

     "And your point is? I just so happen to love laying next to you. I could do it all day." Mark smiled at his companion, loving every moment. He rested his arms atop the smaller man, allowing the space between them to lessen even further. He sighed in contentment, letting himself feel everything, every breath and smile, the growing warmth between them, the love in his heart, overfilling. He couldn't keep the smile off of his face if he'd wanted to, and he most certainly did not. He looked over at Jack, and what he saw made him scream.

     Jack, still and pale, lay next to him, blood oozing from various cuts and punctures. Under his head was a rapidly growing pool of blood, and Mark was holding a corpse. He scrambled away, weeping, hoping his tears would wash away Jack's blood. His clothes absorbed it, almost hungrily, and Mark furiously scrubbed at his hands. When he looked up once again, Jack was worse. Bits of flesh had been taken out, dried blood clung to everything around them. A blink and it was gone. All of it. The blood, the bones, everything was gone.

     Mark looked around, then realized that he had just been dragged somewhere else. The field. It was empty except for himself and Mandy. It seemed that Mandy was the one who had dragged him out of that horror scene, and Mark was thankful for it. His sanity was fragile as it was, no need to damage it any further.

     "Mark, are you there? Look at me, you're back home, okay?" Mandy stood over him, and Mark noticed that he was still on his back.

     "Mandy? What happened?" Mark hoped everything was just a bad dream, that maybe Jack was waiting for him to wake up so that his wounds could be tended to.

     "Mark..." Mandy sighed, sadness overcoming her features. Mark knew then, there was no going back, no fixing everything. And not for the first time, Mark's world came crashing down around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're only about half-way through. The next chapter will reveal so much more, I promise! Stick with me!


	12. Olive branch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here is something to hopefully begin to make up for my absence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHHHH!! I AM SO EXTREMELY SORRY!!!! YOU GUYS!!! AHHHHHH!! I know there is absolutely NO excuse for my disappearance, but life is hard and school is even harder and I am incapable of juggling my different obligations because I am stupid, and I'm so sorry. I have tried, for SO LONG to come up with something, but at the same time I know you guys are smart, some of you had already guessed what was going on, so here it is! The official happenings! Now, there is still a lot of this story to go, and I will try so desperately to post, but I hate to say that my schedule only gets worse from here, so you guys migh have to wait, IM SORRY!! I promise, during the holidays I will be POURING out chapters!! But until then, here you go. Please, I'm sorry, forgive me!!

     The forest is dark, stormy… Nothing abides by the rules of humanity here, everything is animalistic. Thunder rolls through the dark sky, after lightning splits it open. The trees quiver, branches tumbling aggressively to the ground. Rain pounds on the soaked dirt, perforating through the grass. And there, in a slick puddle of mud and leaves, lies Jack.  
     The leader looks through the haze of darkness and the sheets of rain to the ground and the man at his feet. Everything is wrong. The man lies still and pale, the blood puddled beneath him, and his wings are spread around him, not a drop of rain touching the smooth slick skin. The leader feels grief fill him up, much like the rain in all the leaves. The man is calm, expression is that of one in ultimate peace. The leader lets out an angry roar, then glances around him, knowing he cannot carry this man and fight of the beasts. He quickly scoops of the Jack’s body, scurrying through the forest. 

     He reaches the village just as the stench of acid fills his nostrils, the rain unable to drown the smell out. He crosses the border then stands just inside it, watching as the trees tremble and quake, and two ghostly white eyes peer out through the canopy. The eyes seem to glow, whisping eyes that move yet are completely stationary. Soft swishes are heard over the rainfall, and two clicks sound out from the shape hidden in shadows. The leader can feel a spark of fear shoot through him, lighting up his senses and alerting him that even though he’s within the borders, he isn’t safe. Suddenly, another pair of eyes flicker into existence, mere inches from the first. And the leader watches, body shaking uncontrollably as dread takes his heart in its hands and crushes him under the pressure.

    Things look bleak, no possible outcome positive in the slightest. The leader visibly shakes, watching as a hideous creature emerged from the shroud of the trees.

     Its skin was withered and black, clinging to it’s body. Legs shriveling to sharp points, arms like thick whips. Grey, thin wings sprouted from the back of its spindly shoulders, abdomen a round ball, glowing red and pulsing. It had no eyes, just a single line running down its face, white whisps of smoke trailing down its face and floating behind it. Slick tar-like substance oozed down it’s surface, it’s thin face-less head blankly facing him. Its abdomen throbbing, contracting tightly as if to express hunger. Hunger for flesh. For revenge.

     Long winding arms whipped out, stopping just at the border line, and for the first time in history, the border cracked. The invisible wall between the leader and the creatures viscous tentacle-like arm shuddered, and the leader felt paralyzed. When another monster slowly shuffled out from the darkness, the leader was jerked out of his paralytic trance, running towards his town, towards the safe-haven. Behind him, the echoes of the breaking border shuddered through the field and towards the town.

     He made his way, gasping, to the Central, the center of everything, Jack in his arms. He shouted out orders to guards and townsfolk alike, then hurried into the safehouse, arms aching with the effort of keeping Jack in his arms. As he approached the safe-room of the house, he sees people making their space of the safehouse comfortable. The safe-room is a secret room, the only people knowing of its existence being one guard and the leader himself. He winds his way through the rooms and into hidden walkways, unlocking hidden rooms as he goes. Finally, he makes it to the safe-room, and sets Jack down slowly. He bandages his wounds and uses some extra covers to blanket the space between the wall and shelves of food. He places Jack there, hiding him. He ensures that everything is in reach for when Jack wakes, and leaves.

    When he’s finally made it back outside of the tunnels and hidden rooms, he finds that things are disturbingly silent. Cautiously, he makes his way out of the safe-room, and his breath is taken away.

     Blood, everywhere. Bodies strewn about, the remaining people fighting for their lives and the lives of their family. People scream and run, monsters curing down bodies like paper through a shredder, blooding spewing everywhere, dirtying the entirety on the village with the eventual remains the battle. Nobody was safe, almost all were dead. Each scream could be heard individually, each scream cutting off abruptly as their hearts and souls were devoured. The leader felt pang in his heart as he tore his eyes away from the heartbreaking battle, an internal war going on inside his head. The people defended him, sacrificed their last moments to their leader, all for him to abandon them without a word or passing glance. He wished to show them respect, but knew that immediate death was not respectful, but neither was leaving them to fight his battles.

    He turned his face towards the remaining people, then made his decision.

     He charged into the fray, pulling people out of harms way and ordering them to the safe house. When he approached his second, the face of his tribe, the person he could trust to lead, he give the key and instructions into the safe room to him. He could be trusted, he had even led the people in a few days, and he had done amazingly. The leader was proud of him. And so, as the young man turned, the leader lay a hand on his shoulder, showing rather than telling how he felt. The young man nodded and marched determinedly to the house, grabbing and ushering as many people as he could inside.

     The leader stood ground in front of the horde, anger and revenge radiating off of him. He shouted out, catching their attention as his sword clipped the arm I one of the creatures, the bloodshed around him fueling his rage, inspiring him. The monsters stood around him, and as they closed in, he could see the last of his people shut the door, the new leader locking it firmly as he valiantly stood, unwavering. If he was going to die, he was going to do it proud, saving lives by cause of distraction. He sliced at the creatures, watching as white smoke drifted off of them at the wound sites. He relished the moments before his death, knowing people would tell his story with pride, knowing he saved lives. The only thing he could have asked for was that people saw his smile, bright and pure, shining through the blood and sweat, just before the monsters lunged.

     Long live the King, they say.

     Long live the King.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because you guys are the greatest and are much better at this whole thing than me, I will EAGERLY except tips on how to better handle my life, please and thank you!! And because I love ALL of you guys for being AWESOME, I shall do (almost) anything to win back your affections! (That sounds weird.) Not that you guys need someone to write out your amazing ideas for you, but in case you do, I love suggestions! I will have any suggestions done by Christmas! Please comment all your boiling rage at me, it'll be great motivation! Thank you and, from the bottom of my heart and the depths of my soul, I am so deeply sorry for any pain I may have caused you. Truly, I am.


	13. Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Insight on how Mark feels...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I can say is I'm sorry. I understand if you hate me.

     Things happen. Like really bad things. And we know this. Humans, animals, anything with any type of conscious mind must be aware that at some point it'll meet its demise. It's awareness will blink out, like nothing ever happened. And for most conscious mind beings around it nothing _will_ have happened.

     The only way to stay sane in this world is to pretend as though death isn't a living state in your mind, as though it isn't taking away all you love, it's not destroying all of the beautiful things in your life.

     But it is! It always is! Nothing ever changes when it comes to death. Something always leaves, and breaks, and everything in life cuts itself into pieces. It's like your life is a puzzle in a tornado, spinning and cracking and shattering and ripping and crashing. And it never seems to stop.

     Until it does.

     And all you have is the broken bits of yourself.

     But they're like glass and the only way to patch your life together is to risk cutting yourself on the unyielding edges. And you always do. The pieces of glass stick together, spattered with blood and tears. You are out of breath and your teeth ache.

     Immediately, you have to hang your life back up, for everyone to see. Mostly, people pass by, not even giving it a passing glance. But then someone, someone special, will come along. They'll see the blood, the cracks, dried tears, and will pause. They'll clean off the blood, wipe away the tears. They'll hold you, and bandage your bloody finger tips. They'll give you some glue so you can really patch yourself up.

     They'll love you. And it'll be great. And you'll finally feel alive. Your cracks won't disappear. But when you look at yourself, you feel whole.

     Then they punch the glass.

     Rip your heart out of your chest.

     Take all of the pieces of your life, and throw them away.

     They'll rip all of the bandages off.

     Pour the glue out.

     Splash the water on the gaping hole that is your chest where your heart used to be.

     And leave.

     Maybe they'll come back to revel in the carnage and spit on your corpse.

 

     But at the end of it all, you need to get up, and restart the process. And hope and pray that nobody sees the hole in your chest, that nobody notices you're missing a heart.

     And finally, when you patch yourself up, and someone new comes along, you'll show them your dead heart. You'll hold it out to them, hoping that it'll scare them, or at least be a sign that you're already ruined. You're already dead. And they can't hurt you any more.

     If they're meant for you, they'll take it. And place their own inside your chest. They'll give you feelings. More than just love. Their life. They'll ignore your bruised and bloodied fingers. Your parched throat. Your broken wall of glass. And finally, you'll stop hating yourself.  


     When they die, they leave you incapable of living. But their heart will continue to beat in your chest.  
  
     And because you love them, you'll keep it beating.

     That's death.

     If you don't like it....

 

..... _live_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let all your anger and frustration out. I can handle it. I'm a big girl.


	14. Jack, are you there?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark has to figure out what he's doing, and fast. It seems a war may be approaching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowee. It's been a while, hasn't it? To everyone who's still here, cheers! I applaud you. Isn't it crazy? Oh well. This one is going to be extra long, because y'all deserve it. And thanks for sticking with it. Also, I edited chapters 7 and 8. Read them, it's a whole new story. And tell me what you think. I live off of it!

“The village was destroyed.” Amy says nonchalantly, picking at the berries in the basket on their table. It’s colorful and delicious, and Mark really wants to capture its beauty somehow. Instead, he takes a handful of them, grabbing a bowl to mash them in.

“Really? When did that happen?” Mark asks, grinding the fruit into a nice thick jam.

“Some of the scouts believe that it could have happened as recently as yesterday. Although, everyone else thinks that its destruction is what cause the quake. I have to agree with them.” Amy plops down into one of the chairs in the kitchen. “So far, no survivors.”

Mark feels a pang of sadness for them. He remembered their kindness and generosity. They provided him all the tools necessary to find-- nope. Not going to think about it. 

“That’s really unfortunate.” He says, spreading his jam onto some bread for breakfast. “Did they say what caused it?”

“No, but I don’t think they even know.” Amy begins to shed her outerwear, done with her patrolling for the day. “Where are you headed to today?”

“Sector 13, just off of the coast.”

“Lucky!” Amy raises her eyebrows, and get up to head towards their shared room. “Have you seen Mar lately?” She shouts from inside their room.

“No, should I have?” Mark answers, quickly finishing up his breakfast and donning the outermost armor that Amy had left in the kitchen. 

“No, just thought she looked… I don’t know.” Amy says, coming back into the kitchen. “She looked pregnant.” They share an incredulous look. 

“Interesting.” Mark slid his shoes on, and slid his dagger into its sheath on his hip. “I’m heading out for patrol, don’t eat everything.” He lands a kiss on her cheek, and she chuckles.

“Pick up some more wood on your way in, last night's rain ruined all of ours!”

“Bye, love you!”

“Love you too!”

The day was full of sunshine, and as was the usual when Mark was on patrol, he thought of Jack. He couldn’t help it. The blues skies were his eyes, the waves his skin, the trees his wings. He could see Jack everywhere. It was inescapable. Though these days, he didn’t cry. He simply thought. More and more, he thought about the Signifyers. He figured they were extremely flawed. The only true Signifyer that a Xoran had died was the Blood. The produced beam was out of the ordinary and you wouldn't miss it. The Smell and Bond were commonplace things that occured. Even regular humans experienced those. Of course, there was the myth that a flower would bloom on the chests of the Xoran’s Soulbearer, but that only happened once every million years. 

As Mark would think about this, he would wonder if Jack was really dead. Of course, he’d practically insisted that Jack was still alive the first time he’d thought about it, but that hadn’t ended very well. 

As Mark thought about his previous attempts to convince Amy that Jack was still alive, he walked along the coast. The sea was beautiful, a deep green that only served as a reminder of the color Jack’s wings. 

Soon, he found himself stumbling upon a cave. It was dark, darker than it should be considering the morning hour. The sun was bright in the sky, but it had not yet reached its peak. The mouth of the cave was ominous, but Mark decided that I was his job to try and find out what was in it. If it were something hostile that ended up attacking their home, he would feel terrible. 

He grabbed a torch from his pack and lit it, illuminating the mouth of the cave. It was dry and rough, with very many rocks collected on the bottom. It seemed as if the cave was falling apart on itself. Mark too a few steps into the cave, his steps crunching loudly on the cave floor. He traveled along inside it, examining it for any signs of life. As he ventured deeper and deeper into the cave, he noticed that it gotten darker. Much darker. The air felt stale, rotten. Soon, he came fork. 

For some reason Mark felt more trepidation towards the right path than towards the left. So he went left. 

As he went through it, he noticed that there were carving along the wall. They were pictures of some sort, and as he walked down, he saw that they told a story. Multiple stories, all different. But they all shared a common element. The monster. Some depicted people, who looked more like the natives than anything, defeating the monster. Others showed them hiding from the monster, the monster hiding from them. They all seemed like a child's view on war. Some they won, some they lost, and some they stopped. Mark’s heart broke as he noticed the drawings getting more and more violent, and the losing battles quickly outnumbered the winning ones. 

Then Mark came upon a war. Here, the draws were far more elaborate, and far more detailed. It showed battle strategies, how they had one and how they had lost. It showed leaders sacrificing themselves, men and women in battle, giving it their all. Every win was accompanied by a feast, a celebration where the children clearly were not allowed. But the monster always lurked. In most of the depictions, the monster was simply darkness, with a glowing line running through it. 

As Mark looked down the wall, he could feel that he was getting to the center of all of the pictures. He watched the pictures attentively, getting as much information from them as he possibly could.

He turned and there it was. The monster. It had black, leathery skin, clinging to its pointed legs and whip-like arms. It seemed to be covered in a thick ooze, with thin, grey wings shredded behind it. Its head was no head at all, just a round figure with a vertical line down it. It abdomen had been ripped open, and drawn directly below it was a native holding a bright red  _ thing _ . 

The image was the last one. Over the rest of the wall, nothing else was drawn. This was it. The most realistic picture of them all, it seemed fitting. Mark looked around the cave, and finding nothing else worth seeing, he decided to head back out. On his way, he passed the right wing. It felt as though it were calling to him, but he ignored it. He still had to finish patrol, after all.

As he finished up, Mark decided to take a little hike up to Jack’s death spot. He only wanted to examine it, and pay his weekly respects. Amy had told him that visiting Jack’s remains everyday was unhealthy, and he had to agree with her. It couldn’t be good to go and visit your dead soulbearer when you were trying to bond with another person. But he simply couldn’t drop it. It was therapeutic for him. So he was limited to only one visit per week. 

Mark approach the clearing, watching for any sign that anyone was nearby. After ensuring that there was nobody in the vicinity, he grabbed one of Jack’s robes that he had from the night he and Jack….

The robe had been designed by Jack to keep in his Sign, so that nobody would be able to tell what he really was. And it smelled delightfully like him. His smell was so strong on the inside, that it made Mark ache to have him back in his arms again. But it wasn't just for his pleasure. It was for proof. As Mark got to the site where Jack had apparently crash landed, he laid the robe out, picking up the shirt that he had stashed there last week. One of the Signifyers that a Xoran was deceased was their Sign. Their Sign was supposed to rot, and spread out until another Xoran could catch whiff of it and give them a proper rest. Of course, with the way they found Jack’s remains, there was no way to collect them completely. So Mark decided to test whether or not this truly was Jack’s final resting place.

And he lifted the shirt to his nose, he felt fear clamp down on his stomach. If Jack truly was alive, everything that Mark had been building would crumble. 

_ No. It wouldn’t. You can carry on, living your life. The only thing that would change, would be that you would know that I hadn’t died  _ here _. But you still would want to know, and that would destroy you. So go ahead. It’ll be okay. _

Mark took a deep breath, knowing that in his head, Jack would always remain the way he had seen him last, happy. With Mark, wings spread and letting go. On the bed that Mark knew was always meant for them.

With that memory shining brightly in his head, Mark made up his mind. If the smell had depleted, he would go about with his life. He would move on. This would be that last time that he thought about any possibility of Jack being alive or not.

And if the smell hadn’t depleted at all….. Mark would cross that bridge when/if he came to it. He took a deep breath in and-

Someone was sobbing. Dropping the shirt, Mark stood, stashing it back to where it had been. Slowly, he made his way through the trees, looking for the source. And just across the clearing was where it was. It being a she, Marzia to be exact. Mark approached her slowly. 

“Hey Mar.” Mark said softly, trying not to scare her too much. There were tear tracts running down her cheeks, and she was holding her knees up to her chest. “What’s wrong?”

“I just heard the news.” She said, curling in on herself even more. “About the village.” She let out another heart wrenching sob. 

“Oh, yeah. It’s pretty tragic, huh? All those lives lost?” Mark sat next to her, recalling what Amy had said this morning. “Did they find out anything about when it happened, of if there were survivors?”

“I don’t know about when it happened, but they did say that they think there were a few who survived.” Marzia said. “I’m sorry, but I’d really like to be alone right now.” Mark nodded and got up.

“If you ever need me, I’m here.” Mark said, waving good-bye and walking back through the clearing. He gave the robe and shirt a passing glance, and almost walked away from it entirely. But no, he couldn’t stall any longer. Sparing Marzia a glance, he picked it and quickly sniffed it. Just one little hint is all it would take to tell him--

He’s alive.

Mark hurried home, knowing that Amy would most likely worry. He had stashed the evidence of Jack’s life in his pack, and would take it home with him where he would be able to focus and make sure that it really was Jack’s Sign and not some weird thing going on with his nose. 

When he walked inside his house, he set all of his stuff down and got started on cooking dinner. The sun had set just before he had gotten off of patrol, and if he didn’t finish dinner fast, Amy would be able to eat before she headed out. That was the good thing about having opposite shifts. Someone was always waiting at home for you. The bad part was that they were almost always apart.

When trying to start a bond with another person who is not your soulbearer, the first thing that they suggest is that you have constant contact. They’ve been failing on that part the most. But there was nothing that they could do, at least until everything with the Cave was figured out. 

The cave that Amy had stumbled upon had been full of wonderful things, things they could use everyday. They were now able to heal so many more things, and they found a new source of the red berries, Class 5, subset b1, a.k.a. Rubies. 

They had also manage to find some blueprints for weapons, so they greatly improved their arsenal. Captain had informed everyone that for the safety of the crew, they had only searched through half of the cave. The other half seemed to be on the verge of collapse, and after everything that had happened recently, they simply were not ready to risk the lives of some of their best. Amy seemed to agree with him that it would be dangerous, but nobody could convince her to tell us why. 

Nonetheless, it was still a mystery, and it still needed to be explored. So the remainder of the group had to pick up the slack. 

Mark decided to put together some sandwiches so that Amy would be able to take hers with her. As he did, Amy walked out of the bedroom, fresh from the shower with a towel wrapped around her body. 

“Hey, did you pick up that wood?” Amy asked, kneeling down by their little fire, putting in some logs. 

Mark cursed himself, finishing up the sandwiches and handing one to her. He shook his head as she took it out of his head, standing up and pecking him on the lips.

“That’s fine, just make sure you grab it before you go to bed, I don’t think we’ll last the morning without some more.” Amy said, helping him out of his outer armor. 

“I will.” Mark said, shaking everything off and handing it to her. “I saw Marzia while I was out. She was crying about the village.”

“Really?” Amy frowned. “Why would she, these things happen all the time around here.”

“Why wouldn’t she, these things happen all the time.” Mark said, giving her a pointed look. She smile and sighed. 

“Yeah, it is kind of scary, knowing that something so bad could happen so close. It was only what, half a day’s journey?” Amy shuddered.  “According the scouts, it looked like the whole village had been burned to the ground. I’d be shocked if anyone survived.”

“Isn’t that what they’re saying? That some people may have survived?” Mark questions, watching as Amy gets dressed, eating his sandwich.”

“Yeah, but I mean come one.” Amy puts her hands on her hips, giving him a sceptical look. “Do you really expect me to believe that all their houses and streets burned to the ground within moments and people survived?” Amy shook her head, slipping on the armor and gathering her weapons. “Most of them weren’t warriors, they had no idea what to do in a situation like that.” Amy walked out of the bedroom, Mark following her. “And then, why would they stay hidden? It just doesn’t add up.” Mark nodded his head in agreement. 

“Anyway, you should probably get going.” Mark said, eager to be alone so that he test whether or not Jack really was alive. “I’ll grab that wood later, promise.” She turned to kiss him, then left. 

Mark breathed a sigh of relief, then ran into their room. Once the curtain over the window was secured, and the door was shut, he slowly brought out Jack’s shirt. There were still some holes in it, from whatever had attacked Jack that night. They were long and thin, almost like whip-lashes. When Mark looked closer, view not impeded by darkness, he noticed there were slight black smudges on the frayed edges of the cuts. He frowned, but decided he would worry about that later. 

SLowly and carefully, he lifted the shirt up to his nose. The fresh smell of flowers that tangoed with the strong scent of pine flooded his nose, and suddenly he felt as if Jack were right there. He smiled, and gathered hsi pack, ready to go out there and find him. Amy wouldn’t be back until morning, and most of the rest of the camp was either gone or asleep. Then he stopped.

Where would he start looking? He had no idea where Jack could be. He’d tried to feel Jack through their bond, but all he could feel was pain. No matter how hard he looked, there was no guarantee that Jack could be found. Mark had already searched Jack’s house, and it hadn’t been touched. There was no way that Mark would be able to find Jack without some sort of clue, or hint, or something. 

Mark sat down on his bed, contemplating. Finally, he decided to try the bond again, but this time, with Jack’s Sign fresh in mind, it mind have better results. It was a long shot, but he needed something. So he closed his eyes and concentrated. The little bit of warmth next his heart, what remained of Jack for Mark. 

Mark reminded himself of Jack’s Sign, going in deeper than he had before. All he needed was some sort of sign. Slowly and timidly, then shadow fell over him, colder than he remembered it being. Mark shook off any worries about what that could mean, and ventured into it. When he opened his eyes, they weren’t his own. All he could see was a wall. As he watched, a door opened, and through it he could see a man with blond hair and a dark, thick beard. The man approached, sitting down close to Jack.

“Some of those vultures may have seen us. I don’t know how much longer we’ll be able to stay. We’re thinking of leaving tomorrow night, and going to the next town over. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure you’re safe. You’re our number one priority.” The leaned over and hugged Jack. “I’m just glad you made it out man. I almost thought you were a goner.” The man gave a watery chuckle. 

The door opened again, and in stepped a small and frail woman. She looked like she needed rest, and waved at the man, who then stood up and exited the room. And the shadow lifted. 

But that woman, Mark swore he could’ve seen her before. But where would he have seen such a frail woman-- the village. 

The village that had just been destroyed. Jack was with them? The vultures must be their scouts. But why would they try and keep Jack safe? Why was he so important? And why did they think he was dead? 

Mark shook his head. That was irrelevant right now. What Mark needed to focus on was getting to Jack, before they left. So Mark began to create a plan.

He was getting Jack, one way or another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To anyone interested, life went yikers for a bit, but I got it. At the end of the day, that's all that's important. Let me know what you think! And I'm planning doing all sorts of new stuff, so be prepared! This ride is about to get a little bumpy!


	15. Finding Jack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark's mini adventure to find and get to Jack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya, decided to post another chapter to this, because I felt bad about the way too long wait. Anyway, if you haven't read the updates, read them, they are way too important and will be referenced throughout the rest of the story. I updated chapter 7 & 8, and some of 9. Either way, enjoy!

Mark watched as Amy walked out into the night, heading towards her marked sector. He waited until she had disappeared into the dark cover of the trees so that he could leave. Tonight was when the natives were planning on leaving, and taking Jack with them. And Mark simply could not lose Jack again. 

Mark had only packed the bare minimum, as he planned to be back before morning, with Jack and an apology. He held his dagger in his hand as he slowly crept out of their camp. As soon as he made it into the woods, he could feel anticipation running through his veins. Just the thought that soon he would have Jack in his arms made his heart swell, and he walked faster, settling his pace on a light jog. 

The trees mostly blocked out the sky, but every so often, there would be a break in the canopy that allowed a beam of moonlight shine through and illuminate the forest. It was gorgeous. Bright colors form the fruits that hung in the trees and the flowers on the ground seemed to glow with a silver tint. Everything had a ethereal glow to it, but Mark could hardly focus on it. He needed Jack, needed to have him alive and safe in his arms. Then he could marvel at the stars as they shone through Jack’s eyes.

Soon, he came to where the village had been. And all he saw was wreckage. The burnt remains of what was once thriving, Mark understood Amy’s scepticism. There was nothing left. The scene was terrifying, so much worse than he could’ve imagined. The first thing that Mark could say for sure was that it wasn’t just a fire. This was war. Bodies torn apart, insides burnt beyond recognition. As Mark tread through the wreckage, the smell of burning flesh and wood filling his nostrils, he could feel his heartbeat fiercely in his chest in sympathy for the lives lost. Where buildings had previously stood was charred earth. Everything was gone. He could feel the need to recoil in horror at every turn. But he had a mission. And he had to complete it.

As he went through the town, he spotted a building that was hidden under the few intact trees. Outside of it were a few people gathering some things into a cart. Mark watched, waiting until he could spot Jack. He didn’t have to wait long.

Jack was escorted out of the building by the same man Mark had seen through Jack, and another man, this one much taller. Most of Jack’s body was hidden by the too-large clothes they had draped him with. Mark’s heart pulled, aching to go over to Jack. Everything in him yearned for the man. But he knew, that if he went now, he wouldn’t make it far. He watched as the two men, helped Jack into the back of the cart, pulling the canvas over everything, successfully hiding Jack from view. 

The group finished packing, and they gathered together, most on different carts, or on strange animals with large backs, tall, strong legs, covered mostly in hair. They were quite the sight to see, and as the group moved forward, Mark took a second to create a new strategy. He hadn’t thought that they would have some sort of transportation. He mentally filed what the species looked like before moving close to them. 

They picked up the pace, and under the noise of the animals feet to disguise him, he crept onto one of the carts. Crawling through, he could see Jacks cart was only two carts up ahead. Mark figured he could get to them if he could properly disguise. He dug a large jacket from inside his pack, before leaving it in the cart. Slowly, he crept forwards, and gauging the speed, he decided to dash forwards, staying close to the cart, in the dark. He could see all the people above him, and his spine thrummed with the fear of being caught. He knew that before they had been welcoming, but he figured that must’ve changed. Either way, he really didn’t want to risk it, because any way you put it, he was sneaking around, and that wasn’t appreciated. 

Slowly, he made his way on the next cart. From here, he could just barely see Jack’s shadow. His heart was thumping in his chest, and his skin tingled, knowing that he was another step closer to meeting the love of his life. But this cart was guarded. He could people keeping their eyes on the surrounding, and he cursed. He was so close. He wasn’t going to give up now.

This time, when he tried to gauge how quickly they were going, he couldn’t. The ground beneath sped past, much to fast for him to notice anything. He tried to find another path, but he couldn’t see anything except the the ground underneath the cart. Then Mark had an idea. The underside of the cart. 

Mark could feel his heart hiccup at the thought, but it would allow him to remain unseen, and if he could reach out, he might be able to create enough drag for the carts get close enough for him cross over. He looked around him, and spotted some leftover bits of vine. He grabbed as much as he dared, then began to crouch down, readying himself for the jump. He took a deep breath, firmly held onto the cart with his feet, and let his torso drop.

He immediately grabbed the bottom of the cart, maneuvering his feet into position. Then, he crawled up, his head close enough to the speeding ground that he could feel the bit of dirt whipping into his hair. Keeping his eyes locked on the bottom of the cart, he carefully planted his hands and feet on the bottom. As he neared the front, he took another deep breath, trying to keep as calm as possible. Slowly but surely, he secured the vine on his cart. Now came the hard part. Securing the other cart. 

Mark reached out with one hand, his hand barely grasping the carts tail end. As soon as he did, he grasped it, and slide the vine around a beam on the bottom. Switching out his hands, he tied the vine, and used it to help him up He watched the guards carefully, hidden by shadows. He waited until their eyes had drifted elsewhere, and took his chance, keeping his eyes secured on the guards. He backed into the cart, waiting until he was sure nobody has seen him. When no alarm was sounded and no guards sent after him, Mark let out a sigh, and a gasp was heard behind him. Immediately, Mark tensed, turning slowly.

As soon as Mark’s eyes landed on Jack face, alive, healthy, and full, he jumped. Mark latched onto Jack, just holding him in his arms, alive and well and warm. He could feel Jack’s every breath on his neck, and it soothed him. Jack’s Sign was stronger than ever, exuding out so much Mark wondered that he hadn’t smelt it before.  _ Jack is alive, he’s here, in my arms, where he belongs. _ Mark could hardly believe it. He leaned back to look at Jack’s face, taking in his features, features Mark had thought about constantly. He smoothed his cheek, marveling at its supple beauty. Mark stared into Jack’s eyes, eyes he could get lost in. Eyes he had gotten lost in, many times over. He leaned down to kiss him, but Jack stopped him before he could. Mark looked at him curiously. He’d believed that Jack would be just as happy to see him, that Jack would be elated. And he should be, right?

“Mark,” Jack sighed, looking down and removing Mark’s arms from his body. “We need to talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you like it? Let me know! I'd be happy to answer any questions, and I thrive off of feedback! You all are loved!! <3<3<3<3!!!


	16. Captain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark goes through quite a few revelations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! It's been a bit, but I'm thinking about what schedule could possibly work for how erratic I am lol. Well, when I figure it out, you will be the first to know! Love y'all, enjoy!

Mark stared at Jack with trepidation.  _ Talk? Talk about what?  _ Whatever it was, it wasn’t good. Mark could tell that from the look on Jack’s face. Mark took a wary step back, waiting for Jack to continue.

“Mark, I….” Jack sighed, turning away. “Mark, why did you come here?” Mark stared at him incredulously.

“Because I needed to see you. I needed to know you weren’t dead.” Mark said, anger and frustration creeping into his voice. “I spent months waiting for some proof that you were still alive, I was terrified, I thought I’d lost you!” Mark looked around, and remembered he had to keep his voice down. “I went through hell trying to convince everyone you weren’t dead, Jack.” Mark looked at Jack, and knowing that all of his dreams had come true, he couldn’t stay angry. Not at Jack, not forever. “Jack, you have to come back. You and me, we have to go back.”

“You mean back to where they’ll kill me, where they’ll torture me?” Jack scoffed, rolling his eyes. “No, thank you.”

“You don’t have to see them then.” Mark said, jumping at the chance of having Jack back. “We could just go, just you and me, I swear.” Mark pleaded, grabbing Jack’s shoulders and forcing Jack to look him in the eyes. “We’ll never have to see another person again. Ever.”

Jack looked into Mark’s eyes, and though Mark was so tempted to look through Jack’s eyes, he kept himself firmly in his own body. He needed to see Jack, to see his face. 

Jack opened his mouth to answer, but at that moment, there was a scream from outside the cart. Jack quickly peeked outside the cart, then turned back to look at Mark, contempt in his eyes. 

“How many people did you tell?” Jack asked, walking back towards Mark. “How many more are coming?”

“I didn’t tell anyone.” Mark swore, staring Jack in the eyes. “Why? What’s going on?”

Jack hook his head, but seemed to believe Mark. He sighed, gathering some things from within the cart. Weapons. 

“Go see for yourself.” Jack said, nodding his head towards the carts entrance. Mark walked slowly over to it, and as he got closer he heard the unmistakable sounds of battle. Weapons clashing, animals making loud, gruff sounds, and the grunts and screams of people. Mark opened the tarp to reveal what was indeed a battle scene. The people from the village were going faster and faster, but there were a few guards attempting fight-- 

No, it couldn’t be. Nobody knew he was supposed to be here. But there they were. Mark watched as a group of Explorers attacked the people. Their eyes glowing bright blue in the night, wings spread as they fought, dragging people up into the air. They were fierce and beautiful, terrifying. The people fought valiantly, but they were being ruthlessly tossed to the ground. Mark desperately wished that those people had survived, but there was no way to tell at the speed they were going. 

Mark could feel their despair as they attempted to move impossibly faster to escape. Mark was disgusted by how hungry the Explorers faces looked. They looked like monsters. Mark watched on in horror, until something large and hard hit his head. Darkness overcame him, and the last thing he say was Jack’s face, getting smaller and smaller.

Mark woke gasping, drenched in sweat and trying to hold onto Jack. But Jack wasn’t there.  _ Oh god no. _ He’d lost Jack again. He tried to remember what had happened, but the last things he could recall was seeing the natives quickly losing the battle against the Explorers. The battle. Then someone must’ve hit him over the head, or knocked him out some other way. But why? Where was he?

Mark looked around, quickly gathering that he must be in someone else’s house, but whose? Looking around, there weren’t any distinctive clues. All he knew was that it was a couple, but that applied to most the Explorers at this point. Mark slowly sat up from his position on the couch, his head pounding. He groaned, pushing his palms into his eyes to help relieve the pressure. 

“Mark?” Mark started, looking up to see Captain hovering next to him. He was slouching, and maskless. He looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes with sallow cheeks. When he looked at Mark though, he looked relieved. “Mark, thank god.” Captain rushed over to Mark, pulling him up and enveloping him. Mark was shocked at the display of affection. The Captain usually kept to himself.

“Mark you have no idea how relieved I am to see you. I thought we’d lost you to those savages.” Captain pulled away, ripping his mask on his face and scrutinizing Mark’s face. Mark’s eyes darted away, not too excited on telling the Captain that he had snuck out. Apparently he didn’t have to. “They didn’t take you, did they Mark?” Captain asked, heaving a heavy sigh. Mark looked at the Captain, but couldn’t bring himself to apologize. After all, they had no right to destroy those people the way they did. But the most important thing, the real reason that Mark could feel a grudge forming like a barrier between him and the Captain was that Jack was alive. And they had taken him away from Jack. Just like they had before.

“Mark, why on earth would you go and do something like that? “ Captain sighed.” You know we have rules, and we can’t just have you go out without telling us, Mark. You had everyone worried,  _ I _ was terrified, and I - ”

“Jack is alive.” Mark whispered. Immediately, Captain went silent. “He’s alive and I had to see him again. And now, I don’t know where he is.” Mark sat back down on the couch, putting his head in his hands. He could feel the dip as Captain sat next to him. For a few seconds, they sat in silence.

“How… how did you know?” Captain says slowly, quietly. 

“His scent hadn’t rotted yet.” Mark explains, not lifting his head to speak. Captain simply sat there, and in the silence and warmth of Captain’s home, he could feel that grudge crumbling before it even completed. Captain was his best friend, the person who undoubtedly knew him the best. He could never really stay too angry at him.

“Steph is pregnant.” Captain says, and Mark’s head shoots up. Looking at Captain’s blank face, he sees that he is no longer the emotionless and stoic Captain, but the vulnerable and half-human Mat. They sit in quietly for a moment more, before Mark finally comes up with something to say.

“What are you guys going to do?” Mark asks, bewildered. 

“Contact the Xorans I guess.” Mat shrugs. “What else are we supposed to do. We have never been instructed what to do in this situation. What is the baby is more human than Xoran, or vice versa? We don’t know how either practises work.” Mark simply shakes his head in sympathy for the man. This is going to be such a difficult time coming up, and yet he cannot help but feel happy for him. A baby means a family. And Mark would give anything to have a family. 

“So we’re going to use the Vision?” As far as Mark knew, the Vision, which was a small hand-held ball that summoned a Xoran, was only to be used in emergencies. But Mark could see how this was an emergency. 

“Do you know any other way to contact them?” Mat chuckled, rubbing his eyes and getting up. “We were going to do it a few hours ago, but I wanted you to be there. Strangely enough, you were nowhere to be found.” Mat gave Mark a pointed look, and Mark gave him a slightly sheepish look. He knew it was all in jest, but knowing now just how much stress Mat must’ve been under before he found Mark missing made everything slightly more acceptable. But only slightly. 

“Let’s do it now. There’s nothing to stop us, right? No other missing persons?” Mark got up, heading towards the door, and opening it for Mat to leave. 

“Guess not, and everything is ready.” Mat rubbed his palms against his pants, and gave him a brief smile. A quick steadying breath, and Mat took off, heading towards the circle that was placed in the middle of the clearing. Around the Vision sat Mandy, Steph, and a few others that Mark never had the time to get to know. They sat in a loose circle, all talking and gathering in their own groups. 

“Alright!” Mat said, entering Captain mode and slipping on his mask. “We’ve decided to go ahead and call them here. We can’t really afford to wait any longer.” Captain gestured to Steph, who stood and placed her palm on top of the Vision. It began to spin wildy, and spot of light shone from it. Smoke rose from underneath, Steph disappearing in its hazy cloud. When the smoke cleared, Steph stood there, right next to Mynyano, the Xoran who had been in charge of childbirth of the Xoran-Human hybrids. Of the Explorers. Everyone knew she kept to herself, hiding away in her little Cabin in nowhere, but they all respected her. She was one of the most intelligent Xorans tha they had ever seen, even if she was a bit of a recluse. Now that Mark knew Jack, her quiet manner and the way she kept to herself reminded her of him.

Mynyano beckoned Mat forward, who stepped forward shakily. She examined the both of them as they stood in front of er side by side. 

“It looks to me as though we have a baby on the way. And it also would seem that we have a bit of unrest in the group due to that.” Mynyano’s voice was imposing and commanding, though it had a bit of softness to it that gave Mark the impression she would be excellent at raising children of her own. “Due to the nature of this emergency, we shall be taking Miss Stephanie back to Xoran to have the child.” 

“When will we be heading out? And how long will we stay?” Captain asked, standing tall despite the fact the Mark could clearly see he was nervous. 

“Oh no,” Mynyano said, looking down at Captain. “You will not be with her. We could not have anything in the way of our experiments. And  _ she _ will be staying indefinitely.”

“Experiments? She’s my soulbearer, you cannot take her away from me!” Captain shouted, taking one step forward towards Mynyano.

“YOU WILL DO AS YOU’RE TOLD.” Mynyano’s wings spread in the same second, like black silk, smooth shadows. Her scent hit him, something fresh and clean, yet biting and sharp. Everyone took a step back as her voice boomed across the field. SHe seemed to grow three times her size, and with one last glance at Steph, she disappeared, smoke clouding up from where she had been. 

Mark looked at Captain, and he could see, in that one second, that Captain had no intention of following the rules. 

Captain would not do as he was told.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you guys think! Like the direction it's taking! I think you'll love what I have in store for you guys!! I'm excited, are you? Let me know!!! <3<3<3


	17. The Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few decisions are made, changing the lives of our Explorers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a little over a week now, hasn't it? I think that's my plan. Try and post a chapter every week. It's doable, and I can work out something with my lovely editor once everything has officially been settled! Now, admittedly I will need you guys t hold me to that! Either way I love y'all, and have fuuun!!!! <3<3<3

After the visit from Mynyano, Captain disappeared. Steph had gone with him, and they were gone in the middle of the night. Immediately, arguments arose about whether or not they should contact the Xorans once more. But Captain came back before any final decision could be made. Upon his arrival, Mark noticed that he had a determined air about him, his face severe and unmoving. Steph walked a step or two behind him, but her eyes were trained to the ground so Mark couldn’t make out her expression.

“Everyone gather ‘round!” Captain called out, his voice projecting throughout the clearing, echoing into the trees. There were only a few people who hadn’t been around for the initial argument, but among them was Amy. Mark’s heart seized, and guilt flooded him. But it was quickly replaced with concern as he saw just how bad she looked.

Bruises littered her face, dark circles hanging below her eyes. Her clothes hung off of her frame, but Mark recognized them as his. The deathly pallor of her skin stood out in the silvery light of the moon. Mark rushed over to her, and when she noticed him she smiled faintly.

“Mark, I heard about Jack.” She said before he could get anything out. She sounded tired, and Mark wanted to say something to make her better, but he didn’t know what. He may not have been in love with her, but he still loved her. And he couldn’t bear for her to be hurt. But before he could come up with anything to say, Captain began speaking.

“Alright, I assume we all know what happened, correct?” Captain asked, looking around for any sign of confusion. “Well, I won’t take that. I won’t let them take my family.” He glanced back at Steph, taking her hand in his, and Mark finally got a glimpse of her face. Tears sparkled in her eyes, and twin paths led down her cheeks. Mark looked between Captain and Steph, and it clicked.

“We decided to leave.” Captain’s voice was almost immediately drowned in incredulous questioning, but one hand held up silenced them. “That’s all there is. We aren’t sure where we’re going, or if we’ll even make it. And we wanted to make it perfectly clear that nobody has to come with us.” Captain’s eyes skimmed over the crowd, and Mark thought he could see a familiar shimmer in his eyes, but he blinked and it was gone. “You have been a wonderful crew, and anyone who wishes to join is welcome.” Captain waited a beat and turned.

“Sir!” Mark shouted, pushing through the crowd. There was no way he was going to let his best friend run head-first into god-knows-what. Not without him, at least.

“Mark.” It wasn’t a question so much as a grateful sigh.

“There is no way I’m letting you hog all the adventuring.” Mark flashed a smile, turning when he heard another shout through the crowd.

Mandy was pushing through, red-faced but smiling. “I’m coming with.”

“I may as well join.” Amy said, joining Mark and Mandy at Captains side.

“What the hell, we should all go.” Wade said, stepping forward. As much as Mark despised Wade, he had eventually come around and, Mark supposed, was attempting to make up for what had happened with Jack. Mark would never forgive him, but it payed to have someone so respected agree with him. Though most people had been skeptical of Captains plans, as soon as Wade spoke up, he could see people perk up, nodding their head or making plans of their own.

“Alright.” Captain said, eyes wide and gleaming. I guess we’ll all go.”

“Hold on,” one person shouted, making their way to the front of the crowd. “Where exactly are we going?” Captain floundered for a minute, looking around to Steph, while Mark, thinking fast, remembered Jack and going into Jack’s memories.

_“We’re thinking of leaving tomorrow night, and going to the next town over.”_

Mark smiled, looking over at Captain. “I think I know where we can go.”

 

 

It took them almost three days to find the Villagers. They had hidden themselves well, within one of the many vast caves similar to Mark’s previous discovery. Still, they were wounded, having had many of their own thrown from high heights. And of course, the explorers had wings.

Finding them was the easy part though. Next they had to convince the people that they should be let in, and that they could be trusted. Mark had already planned for that. He had simply asked to see Jack, after ensuring the two guards that had come out that he was not going to be a threat. Jack had met with Mark, and after Mark explained their situation, all Jack had to do was try and convince their leader, Felix, that they could be trusted.

“Mark, you know I’ll do all I can, but he needs proof. He needs to be certain that you guys won’t be a danger.” Jack had said, eyes sympathetic. Mark had gone back and forth between Jack and the Captain, hoping against hope that this would work. Late at night, though he longed to be with Jack, he was forced to stay with his own. It wasn’t altogether horrible, considering that he would usually spend all day talking to Jack, but remembering the gentle glide of his skin against Jacks, their heated breaths and passionate cries made Mark crave Jack.

But he had put it aside (for the moment) to make room for his increasing worry over Amy’s state. Everyday, she seemed more exhausted, more worked up and much more miserable than he had ever seen her. He may have found Jack, but he still cared for Amy. She had been essential in helping him heal from the cutting loss that was losing Jack. And they had almost been soul-bound. You don’t just back out from that, it requires plenty of healing and support, both of which Amy was severely lacking.

“Amy,” Mark came to her one day, his worry overcoming any guilt he felt about the situation.

She turned to him, and though her clothes were about ten sizes too large, they seemed to hug her tight, especially around the midriff. He felt his heart sink in his chest. Her smile was bright, shining through the grime that had accumulated on everyone after long days of travel and even longer days of sitting around in the heat. But that wasn’t what upset him. It was her eyes. There was something desolate and perhaps a little forlorn in them. They were dark, the brightness of her smile not reaching her eyes.

“Oh Amy,” Mark groaned, rushing over to her and enveloping her in a giant hug. He couldn’t believe that he had completely ignored her. She melted into his hug, and a deep sigh blew out onto Mark’s chest. He could feel guilt and melancholy fill his chest, reminding him of all the days that he had spent with Amy. There had been a time when he would’ve been happy with her. A time that he would’ve let go and simply lived his life with her, whatever that may have been like. It sickened him to think that he had let that go, in a heartbeat, without any thoughts after the fact. _Well, better late than never_ , Mark lamented in his head.

“Mark, I have to tell you something.” Amy said, pulling back. Mark watched her eyes, waiting for any sign that what she was going to say would be bad news. She glanced down, took a deep breath, and looked back up at him.

At that moment, a large commotion could be heard from outside of their little safe haven. From the din a large man came running through, shouting out towards them the good news.

“Pack your stuff! They've let us in!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are coming up to the end of this little chapter in our saga! I'm planning to only write 5 more chapters for this, but the second part is already in the making!!!! Let me know if y'all have any suggestions of anything you'd like me to write, or if you have anything you'd want to see in the last few chapters? Love you and appreciate you and y'all are grrrrreat!! 
> 
> xoxo <3


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